Pakistan Health Ministry on Tuesday said the country recorded another polio case, increasing the overall number to 50 in 2024.

The new case was reported from the country’s northwest Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province as health officials confirmed the detection of type 1 wild poliovirus in a 20-month-old girl.

The polio case was confirmed by the officials from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) under the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination.

NIH officials said this was the second polio case from Tank district, adding that 24 cases have been reported from southwest Balochistan province, 13 from southern Sindh province, 11 from KP and one each from eastern Punjab province and federal capital Islamabad.

The health ministry urged parents and guardians to protect their children from the disease, only multiple doses of the polio vaccine can provide protection to children from the devastating effects of the disease.

“The polio programme brings the vaccine to citizens’ doorsteps several times a year. Given the spread of the virus, it is critical for parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated in all polio drives and up to date on their routine vaccinations,” according to NIH officials.

(Xinhua/NAN)