Islamabad: Three new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 have been confirmed in Pakistan, raising the country’s total to 59 for the year, as reported by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health on Monday. The latest cases were identified in DI Khan, Karachi Keamari, and Kashmore, with each district reporting one new case.

According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, the genetic sequencing of the virus indicates that the new cases are linked to an existing WPV1 cluster that has persisted throughout the year. DI Khan, a significant focus of polio efforts due to its status as one of seven endemic districts in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, now accounts for eight cases, while Karachi Keamari has reported three, and Kashmore has registered its first case of the year.

Pakistan is confronting a significant resurgence of WPV1, with 26 cases in Balochistan, 16 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 15 in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad. The disease, which can cause paralysis and has no cure, is preventable through multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, which is critical for maintaining immunity in children under five.

The Pakistan Polio Program continues to administer extensive vaccination campaigns, providing vaccines directly to children in their homes and through the Expanded Program on Immunization, which offers free vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases at health facilities. A new mass vaccination drive is scheduled for mid-December, aiming to immunize over 44 million children. Parents are urged to ensure their children receive the vaccine to protect them from the outbreak.