NIH says positive polio nationally fall, but transmission will not stop yet

• Balochistan only records one positive space.
• The positive sindh falls to 12 areas in July.
• Next vaccination unit scheduled for early September

Islamabad: While the overall trend shows a decrease in positive environmental polio detectures, reflecting the impact of high quality vaccination campaigns, the virus continues to circulate in some parts of Pakistan, NIH National Institutes (NIH) said.

According to July data of the country’s environmental surveillance system, 127 sewage samples of 87 regions were collected, NIH said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The test at the Regional Reporting Laboratory for the Elimination of Polioleys in Islamabad confirmed that 75 samples as negative and 42 as positive, with 10 samples still under the process.

Balochistan recorded a significant decrease, with only one positive environmental surveillance area in July compared to January 15. Of the 23 sites tested in the province, 22 were negative, including six of the seven in the Quetta Block.

At KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, positive sites declined from 14 in January to seven in July, with 24 seats testing negative. Three of the seven positives came from South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while in Peshawar, four of the six locations were tested negatively.

Punjab reported 12 positive sites in July from 15 in March. Sindh saw a decrease in areas with positive detects, from March 20 to 12 in July. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, all the samples tested so far this year were negative.

In the past year, Pakistan’s polio program conducted six high quality vaccination campaigns-four at national level-each reaches over 45 million children.

These efforts have significantly reduced both the cases of polio and the positive environmental samples, making strong progress towards stopping transmission.

The next sub -national vaccination campaign will be held from September 1st to 7th, with the aim of vaccination of 28 million children in 91 regions in all provinces and areas.

Authorities have urged parents and carers to ensure that children receive their drops in this round.

In addition to the drops of polio, the government provides free immunization for children up to 15 months, offering protection from multiple diseases that can be prevented. Repeated vaccination in polio parallel with routine immunization enhances immunity and prevents lifelong paralysis.

Nih stressed that the elimination of polio remains a collective responsibility, inviting parents, communities and local leaders to support vaccination groups, deal with misinformation and ensure that each child receives every dose.