KARACHI: Pakistan has confirmed 19th polio case of this year after a 5-month-old child tested positive for the virus in the northwestern Lakki Marwat district, the country’s polio program said on Tuesday.
The latest infection marks the 12th polio case in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which has long been identified as a high-risk zone for poliovirus transmission due to insecurity, vaccine hesitancy and operational challenges.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential immunizations.
“The continued detection of polio cases highlights the ongoing threat to children, especially in areas with low vaccine acceptance,” the polio program said. “It is crucial for communities to understand that repeated vaccination is essential to protect every child against poliovirus.”
Despite significant improvements in the quality of polio vaccination campaigns nationwide, the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain a key area of concern due to restricted access, lack of female vaccinators and operational challenges in conducting house-to-house vaccination, according to the polio program.
