Polio in Pakistan: Two additional WPV1 cases reported in DI Khan, KP

In a follow-up on the wild poliovirus surge in Pakistan in 2024, the country’s National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan, bringing the number of total cases in the country this year to 52.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirmed the most recent cases from Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The affected include a boy and girl, ages were not disclosed.

DI Khan, one of the seven polio endemic districts of southern KP, has now reported five polio cases this year.

Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

There has been an increase in wild poliovirus transmission in the remaining two endemic countries—Pakistan and Afghanistan—now with a combined total of 75 cases in 2024 to date.

India’s major milestone: one-year polio free

There is no cure for polio. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to keep them protected.

Officials say it is critical for parents to open their door to vaccinators and ensure that all children in their care receive OPV to keep them protected from the devastating effects of polio.