Pak authorities report Islamabad's first poliovirus case in last 16 years

Islamabad: Authorities in Pakistan on Friday reported its first polio case in the capital Islamabad in the last 16 years, a setback to the national efforts aimed at eradicating the crippling virus from the country.

According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was detected in a child at Union Council Rural 4 of Islamabad.

“This is the first human case reported from Islamabad in the last 16 years,” an official statement said, adding that the newest case marked the 17th polio case this year in Pakistan.

“It is incredibly heartbreaking that another Pakistani child has been affected by a disease that has no cure but is entirely preventable with the help of an easily accessible vaccine,” said Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication.

Farooq said that given the intense situation in the country, the Polio Programme has held in-depth consultative sessions with the provinces and districts to implement plans to improve eradication activities through a polio campaign beginning next week.

“From September 9 onwards, polio teams will go house-to-house in 115 districts to vaccinate more than 33 million children under five,” she said.

“This virus does not discriminate. Wherever it finds a child with weak immunity, it will attack. Parents must understand the urgency of ensuring that their children receive polio drops and are up to date on their routine immunisation.”

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, said the Polio Programme was launching this targeted vaccination campaign from September 9, particularly in districts where the virus has been detected and the risk of continued transmission and spread is high.

“We’re ramping up efforts to reach every child, including in Islamabad, with polio vaccines. We have a collective responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our children from crippling diseases such as polio,” Haq said.

Haq reiterated that parents, unfortunately, have not always welcomed and opened their doors to the vaccinators when they visit their homes.

“I encourage all parents and caregivers to make sure your children are not missed when the vaccinators visit your house next week,” Haq stressed.

The case in Islamabad is a setback in efforts to end the polio virus in Pakistan.

The country came close to achieving zero poliovirus cases in 2021 when only one infection was reported.

So far this year, 12 cases have been reported from Balochistan, three from Sindh, and one from Punjab and Islamabad each.