Second case report of polio in Pakistan this year

The Ministry of Health has said that the second case of polio has been reported from Pakistan this year. A two-year-old girl from North Wazi...

The Ministry of Health has said that the second case of polio has been reported from Pakistan this year. A two-year-old girl from North Waziristan has been infected with the dangerous virus.

 

Health ministry says report of polio case is cause for concern — File photo: AFP

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health said in a statement that it was "worrying" that a polio case had been reported.

On the other hand, expressing concern over the emergence of the second case of polio in the last few days, Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel said in his statement that the health and life of every child in the country is very precious. Effective measures are being taken.

 

Read also: First case report of polio in Pakistan after 15 months

 

The Federal Minister further said that where the polio virus is present, a coordinated and effective strategy is being formulated. We must all work together to ensure that every one of our children is protected from this disease.

Abdul Qadir Patel said that we will not leave China till the eradication of polio, eradication of polio is our religious moral and national duty, we have to protect our children from permanent disability, use all resources for eradication of polio. Will bring

The Federal Minister of Health appealed to the parents to give polio drops to their children during the polio campaign.

Read also: Record of no polio case report for 12 months for the first time in Pakistan

It may be recalled that on April 23, the first case of wild polio virus was reported in Pakistan after 15 months from North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A statement from the National Health Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said that a wild polio case was reported in North Waziristan, the third case reported globally this year.

The statement said that the wild polio virus type one (WPV1) case was confirmed in North Waziristan on April 22, which was confirmed on April 9 in the laboratory of National Institute of Health Islamabad with disability.

It may be recalled that on January 27 this year, a year had passed since no polio cases were reported in the country. Earlier, in 2021, only cases were reported from Balochistan but no case was reported from other provinces.

Read also: UNICEF hopes to eradicate polio in Pakistan

The NOC said in a statement that South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been declared a polio-endangered area where wild samples had been identified in environmental samples in the last quarter of 2021.

It may be recalled that two days ago, Microsoft founder and billionaire social leader Bill Gates had telephoned Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to assure him that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) would be involved in the country's anti-polio campaign. Cooperation will continue.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had a telephone conversation with Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on Tuesday in which he described Pakistan's "positive progress" in eradicating the disease. Appreciated

The statement said the talks focused on the BMGF ongoing public health and social sector programs in Pakistan, including the eradication of polio and the Foundation support for improving immunization, nutrition and financial inclusion services in Pakistan. Discussed.

Read also: The story of the polio vaccine: what it does that saves 3 million lives every year

The Prime Minister had said that Pakistan has maintained progress towards eradication of polio and appreciated the invaluable assistance provided by BMGF in this regard.

Pointing to the emergence of only one case of polio in Pakistan in 2021, the Prime Minister emphasized that his government was committed to eradicating all forms of polio from the country.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, Bill Gates acknowledged the positive developments and reiterated the Foundation's continued support for Pakistan and assured continued support that no child would be at risk of stroke due to the polio virus.