–Two cases emerge in KP, one in Balochistan
The total number of polio cases in 2019 has touched 76 after three more polio cases emerged in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday.
According to the Health Ministry, the two cases of polio were reported in Lakki Marwat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), while the other polio case was reported in Balochistan.
Earlier on October 5, three cases of polio were reported in Pakistan. One each case was reported from Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The two victims from Lakki Marwat — a seven-year-old girl and a 21-month-old boy — are residents of the Sarai Naurang tehsil, a report released by the Emergency Operation Centre said, adding both children had not been administered the polio vaccine.
The EOC report cited “refusals by parents” as the top reason for the scale of the virus’ resurgence witnessed this year.
In Balochistan, the victim was an 11-month-old boy from Harnai, The child had been immunised once during a routine drive. However, the family was constantly on the move between Ziarat and Harnai, the EOC observed in its report.
KP lead the number of polio case is 56. Sindh followed with eight cases, where the number of cases in Balochistan was 7 this year. Only five cases surfaced in Punjab, mostly in its capital Lahore.
One of the reasons is the increased resistance towards vaccination drives and violence against polio workers in the province as compared to the rest of the country.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, last month, had expressed serious concern over the recent spike in polio cases in the country and directed federal and provincial government officials to undertake effective awareness and immunisation campaigns to eliminate the disease.
