Islamabad[Pakistan], November 22: The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) of Pakistan has declared two polio new cases in Sindh province, taking the annual tally this year to 52 polio cases across the country, ARY News reported.
The cases were reported in Dera Ismail Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The affected children are a three-year-old boy and a one-and-a-half-year-old girl with Wild Poliovirus Type 1 form of the polio virus. As per the ARY News report, the genetic analysis of the virus is underway.
Among the total polio cases in the country, Balochistan is in the lead with 24, Sindh has 13, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has detected 5 polio cases and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.
According to the ARY news, the authorities of the Polio Vaccination Campaign have emphasized the importance of developing efficient campaigns on vaccination while focusing on high-risk areas. According to them, it is still possible to eliminate the virus with vaccination campaigns.
The ARY news reported that Pakistan's Polio emergency has caused concern to international organizations with the need to take serious action. They called on Pakistan to implement emergency measures. The administration of Pakistan has assured the international organisations that they will put more effort and serious measures into preventing the spread of polio.
Some international organisations who work to combat the virus are also expected to pay a visit to Pakistan later in the month to augment the situation, ARY News reported.
Earlier, a 20-month-old girl from Tank district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered from Wild Poliovirus Type 1. Pakistan reported the 50th case of poliovirus on November 19, reported by ARY news.
Children are still at risk of being paralyzed by polio in Pakistan, one of the few countries where the virus is still common. Increased and intensive efforts will be required to eliminate the virus from the country.
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