Islamabad: Recent tests have confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples from Bahawalnagar in Punjab and from Usta Muhammad and Hub in Balochistan, indicating a persistent spread of polio across Pakistan.
According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, the virus was found in environmental samples collected from July 8 to July 11 by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health. This year, poliovirus has been reported in 55 districts throughout the country, highlighting the ongoing threat it poses to children under five, who are particularly vulnerable to this incurable disease.
Health authorities emphasize the critical need for repeated immunization to protect children from the paralysis associated with polio. The Pakistan Polio Programme is actively urging all parents and caregivers to vaccinate their children against polio at every available opportunity, ensuring they complete all routine vaccinations to safeguard against 12 vaccine-preventable childhood diseases.