Islamabad: A child in Islamabad has been paralyzed by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), marking the city’s first human case of polio in 16 years and the 17th case in Pakistan this year. This alarming development has prompted renewed efforts from health authorities to intensify polio eradication activities across the nation.

According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, the diagnosis was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health. The case was detected in a child from Union Council Rural 4, highlighting a significant resurgence of the virus in an area where environmental samples have tested positive for WPV1 since June.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, expressed profound concern over the new case, emphasizing the preventability of the disease through vaccination. “It is incredibly heartbreaking that another Pakistan child has been affected by a disease that is entirely preventable with an easily accessible vaccine,” she stated. In response to the outbreak, a comprehensive polio vaccination campaign is set to commence next week, targeting over 33 million children under five across 115 districts.

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, detailed the upcoming efforts to counter the spread of the virus, particularly in high-risk districts. “From September 9 onwards, polio teams will go house-to-house to vaccinate children and ensure the virus does not find a foothold in vulnerable populations,” he said. Haq also urged parents and caregivers to cooperate with vaccinators to protect their children from this crippling disease.

This case underscores the persistent threat of polio and the critical importance of maintaining high immunization coverage to prevent further spread of the virus.