Islamabad reports first polio case in 16 years and raises alarm

Islamabad [Pakistan]September 7 (ANI/WAM): Pakistan has reported the first case of polio in 16 years in Islamabad, bringing the total number of cases reported this year to 17, according to health officials. This fresh increase comes as the country grapples with ongoing efforts to eradicate the disease, even as wild poliovirus (WPV1) continues to be detected in environmental samples.

Apart from the confirmed cases of wild poliovirus (WPV1) reported in all four provinces, the virus was also detected in environmental samples from 64 districts, indicating its presence in these regions.

The new case was discovered in Union Council Rural 4 in Islamabad, near Sangjani toll plaza, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health confirmed.

The affected person, an eight-year-old boy, is the first case of polio in the city since 2008.

As reported by Pakistan's English-language newspaper Dawn, a senior laboratory official said that environmental samples from the federal capital and Rawalpindi district had tested positive for WPV1 since June, underscoring the “ongoing threat polio poses to the welfare of children.” Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister's liaison on polio eradication, called the case “incredibly heartbreaking.” She mentioned that in response to the virus outbreak, the polio programme had conducted “extensive consultations with the provinces and districts” to intensify its eradication efforts.

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, said the government was “intensifying efforts” to ensure that every child receives a polio vaccine, including those in Islamabad.

The government has planned a new large-scale vaccination campaign in 115 districts from September 9 to 13.

Farooq said teams will conduct home visits in 115 districts to administer vaccines to over 33 million children under the age of five.

The campaign will also cover all 36 districts of Balochistan, where 12 polio cases have been reported since February. (ANI/WAM)