Polio paralyzes infant in Dara Adamkel, marking second KP case this year

• A 10-month-old infant developed paralysis on September 12.
• The NIH confirms the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 in the latest case.
• KP reported the first case of polio in Mohmand on 6 September.

Islamabad: A 10-month-old baby girl has been diagnosed with polio virus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district, taking the total number of polio cases in Pakistan to 23.

The infant, a native of Tehsil Darra Adamkhel, contracted the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) that left him paralyzed on September 12, marking the second case reported from the country’s northwestern province this year.

This second case in KP comes days after the province’s first polio case was confirmed in Mohmand district on September 6.

The province remained polio-free until the beginning of the month following the serious and unremitting efforts of the provincial government, polio workers and national and international organizations working together to eradicate polio.

These efforts were particularly seen in the southern districts of KP, including Kohat, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Upper and Lower Waziristan, Kurram tribal area and Orakzai.

The latest case of polio in KP was reported a day after authorities confirmed on Wednesday that a 30-month-old boy from Pisin, Balochistan, was stricken with the polio virus, marking the province’s 15th case.

So far, Balochistan remains the epicenter of the outbreak with 15 confirmed cases, while Sindh has reported four. Meanwhile, Punjab and Islamabad have recorded one case each, while KP has reported the second.

This rapid increase in the number of cases has led to increased scrutiny of the country’s polio eradication efforts.

According to Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) officials, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the presence of WPV1 in the latest case from Kohat.

The continued circulation of the virus has prompted health officials to step up efforts to fill immunity gaps in vulnerable areas.

The confirmation of the latest polio case comes a day after Muhammad Anwarul Haq, the national coordinator for the Polio Emergency Operations Center, stressed the urgent need to address gaps in efforts to combat the disease.

“Every vaccination missed is an opportunity for the virus to win,” he warned.

Hack called for collective action by both the government and the public, stressing that the solution lies in ensuring timely and repeated vaccinations for all children.

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program organized an anti-polio campaign in 115 districts of the country this month, during which 33 million children under the age of five were vaccinated against polio.

However, the program continues to face significant challenges, particularly in areas where insecurity, misinformation and parental refusals hinder vaccination campaigns.

Despite these obstacles, authorities have updated the National Polio Emergency Eradication Operations Plan and planned two major door-to-door vaccination campaigns later this year in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.

Additionally, Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s focal point for polio eradication, expressed her dismay at the lack of progress, stressing the central role parents play in stemming the spread of the virus.

“Each new case is a heartbreaking reminder that we are failing our children,” he said. “The solution is simple: timely and repeated vaccination.”

The polio emergency remains a national priority, with health officials urging communities to work together and support vaccination efforts to protect the nation’s children from the crippling disease.