Following the presence of the polio virus in the sewerage of major cities of three provinces, Pakistan has decided to launch a special three-day anti-polio drive, sources said. Polio virus was found in the sewerage of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan’s big cities. Sources familiar with the development said the samples taken from Karachi, Okara, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Jacoabad, Islamabad, Kohat, Quetta, Peshawar and Sibi sewerage, tested positive, pushing the number of the positive polio virus samples to 46 this year. A schedule for a three-day anti-polio drive (March 25-28) has been finalised with the input of the provinces.

The anti-polio drive will be carried out in 26 districts to immunize 8.2 million children under the age of five years. 11 districts of Balochistan, 8 of Sindh and seven of Punjab will witness the anti-polio drive. It is to be noted that Pakistan has reported two cases of the crippling disease in 2024 from Balochistan. Earlier on Thursday, a spokesman for the National Ministry for Health said the first polio case of 2024 in Pakistan was reported in Dera Bugti. A two-and-a-half-year-old child from Dera Bugti was confirmed with the poliovirus.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)