Another polio case reported in Karachi

KARACHI: A 38-month-old girl, recently moved from Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa currently residing in Keamari district, Karachi, has been paralyzed by poliovirus, marking the fourth polio case in Sindh this year and bringing the total number of cases in Pakistan to 21.

The Health Department, Government of Sindh, has initiated an investigation into the reported case to identify underlying factors. After conducting a fractional inactivated polio vaccine (f-IPV) campaign in high risk areas of Karachi this August, followed by an SNID campaign this month, the government is now preparing for an immediate vaccination response in the affected and surrounding areas.

Earlier in 2024, Sindh had reported polio cases from Shikarpur, Keamari district (Karachi), and Hyderabad. The latest cases, confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, include two other children from Killa Abdullah in Balochistan and Mohmand in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Polio virus has also consistently been detected from sewage samples of Karachi since September last year.

The government, in partnership with global health organizations, has intensified efforts to combat the poliovirus. Two large-scale, house-to-house vaccination campaigns will be implemented before the end of the year, targeting critical gaps in campaign quality, vaccine acceptance, and access to high-risk populations.

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The government has also updated its National Polio Eradication Emergency Operations Plan to tackle the increasing number of cases, with a focus on addressing challenges in vaccine coverage for migrant populations and underserved communities.