ISLAMABAD-
The number of polio cases has ascended to 280 this year, as four new cases are reported from northwestern region on Saturday, private media reported.
All the four cases are reported to be spotted in the northwester region of Pakistan. According to the Prime Minister’s Polio Monitoring & Coordination Cell, one case was of a young girl belonging to Swat, another case was from South Waziristan, whereas two cases were reportedly from Khyber Agency.
With a total number of 280, 172 cases are reported from Fata, 61 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 27 from Sindh, 17 from Balochistan and three from Punjab.
Pakistan has climbed the ranking among those countries where polio is prevalent.
According to the reports of concerned authorities, because of “law and order situation and unwillingness of families” a huge number of children cannot be vaccinated.Government efforts for eradication of the disease have been wrecked by the attack of militants on immunisation teams as they declare the vaccination to be a Western conspiracy to sterilise Muslims.
A decline in polio cases was seen in 2005 with a low number of 28 but rose to 198 in 2011. In 2012, Pakistan had 58 cases, while 72 were recorded in 2013.
