Environmental samples from two districts of Karachi have tested positive for the poliovirus which sounded alarm bells for the provincial government and health department.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the districts of Korangi and South Karachi have been identified as areas where the poliovirus has been detected.
The channel reported that the health ministry has confirmed the polio virus found in the positive samples is linked to cross-border transmission.
Poliovirus primarily targets children under the age of five and vaccination of it is imperative for their protection.
It is worth mentioning that this development underscores the importance of parents ensuring their children receive the mandatory polio vaccination drops.
Despite continuous efforts to eradicate polio from the country, the recent confirmation highlights the persistent challenges faced in eliminating the disease from Pakistan.
Authorities emphasize the need for collective action to address vaccine hesitancy and ensure comprehensive vaccination coverage to prevent the spread of poliovirus and safeguard the health of future generations.
Anti-polio campaign from March 25 in three provinces
On March 16, the Federal Government has announced an anti-polio campaign in three provinces--Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan--scheduled from March 25 to 28. The campaign will focus on the districts where sewage samples have tested positive for the polio virus.
The Ministry of National Health has revealed that the campaign aims to vaccinate over 8.2 million children across 26 districts of Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan.
The campaign will be conducted in 11 districts of Balochistan, 8 of Sindh, and 7 of Punjab.
These districts include Faisalabad, Khairpur, Kasur, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Qambar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Rajanpur, Okara, Rahim Yar Khan, Khuzdar, Kech, Lasbela, Sohbatpur, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti, Usta Muhammad, Sibi, Hub, and Chaman.
The campaign commenced a day after another polio case surfaced in Balochistan. According to the National Health Department, poliovirus type one affected a 52-month-old child in the Chaman area of Balochistan on Feb 29.
Pakistan’s first polio case of the year 2024 was reported from Balochistan’s Dera Bugti the previous day. According to a spokesman for the National Ministry for Health, the poliovirus was found in a two-and-a-half-year-old child from Dera Bugti.
Hurdles in anit-polio drive
Polio worker, cop shot, injured in KP attack
On March 04, during anti-polio campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a polio worker and a police constable were shot and injured as unknown assailants opened fire on them near Khyber police station.
During the second day of anti-polio campaign in KP, a polio team along with police escort was visiting door to door to administer anti-polio drops to the children below the age of five near Bara Qambarkhel when unknown assailants riding a motorbike attacked the team and escaped from the scene.
As a result of firing, polio worker Abdullah and police constable Gul Karim got injured who were shifted to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar city.
Strict security arrangements have been made to provide security to the polio workers as police and rangers personnel will remain with the teams especially in the sensitive areas.
Polio officer abducted by dacoits in Shikarpur
Last month on Feb 29, a dacoits gang in Shikarpur abducted a polio officer and demanded the police to set free their comrades if they want the polio officer back.
The dacoits posted a video on social media of anti-polio worker Naeem Ahmed Bapar who was abducted from Katcha area of Shikarpur’s Naparkot police station’s limits.
The abductors belonged to Nasirani tribe and the family of the abducted worker has staged a protest demonstration for the early recovery of the victim.