Islamabad [Pakistan], October 24 : Pakistan has reported its 40th polio case this year, with a child from Kohat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa contracting the Type-I of the poliovirus, according to a report by ARY News, citing National Institutes of Health (NIH) sources.
This case marks the second polio diagnosis in Kohat, bringing the total count to 40 nationwide.
According to NIH sources, a two-and-a-half-year-old child belonging to Dara Adamkhel has been affected with Type-I of the poliovirus. Earlier this month, another child was diagnosed with the virus.
Four sewage samples taken from Kohat have been found to contain poliovirus, ARY News reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is set to launch a nationwide polio vaccination drive to immunise over 4.5 million children across the country tomorrow.
The campaign will take place in three phases, with the first phase starting in the Sindh province. The first phase will start in Sindh on October 25, followed by the second phase starting on October 28 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The third phase will start on November 11 in Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad, as per ARY News.
Over 4.5 million children are to be vaccinated as part of the drive; 2.3 million will be vaccinated in Punjab, 1.6 million in Sindh, 7,30,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2,65,000 in Balochistan.
Furthermore, vaccinations are scheduled for 4,61,125 youngsters in Islamabad, 7,40,000 in Azad Kashmir, and 2,81,232 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Vitamin A supplements will also be given to children between the ages of 6 and 59 months as part of the vaccination campaign. The campaign will involve the deployment of 4,55,504 frontline workers, ARY News reported.
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