Two more polio cases surfaced in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) on Friday after which the toll has mounted to above 40.
Sources said that two-year-old Zulfiqar and a year and a half old girl, hailing from Miranshah tehsil, also the tribal headquarters of NWA were found affected with polio virus.
With detection of two new cases, total number of polio affected children in NWA has reached above 40.
Health sources say that ban on polio immunisation campaign in the tribal agency by Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) since June 2012 was the major reason of spread of polio virus.
Meanwhile, Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar has said that 75 polio cases have so far been reported in the country, most of which were from the inaccessible areas.
Responding to a call attention notice moved by Zahra Wadood Fatimi, the minister said Pakistan is amongst the three countries where polio virus still exists. She expressed the government’s commitment to make Pakistan a polio-free country.
Edited: M Ahmed Tauqir
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