Two more polio cases reported in Sindh 

KARACHI: Pakistan has reported two new polio cases, raising the total for the year to 26. In response, the Polio Programme is urging parents to ensure their children receive repeated polio vaccinations to protect them from the paralysis caused by the poliovirus.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed that two children from Karachi East and Sujawal districts of Sindh have been paralyzed by the virus. These are the first cases from these districts this year, where environmental samples have recently detected poliovirus, indicating its presence in the community and the ongoing risk to children.
“It is heartbreaking that Pakistani children are still at risk of a disease that can be easily prevented through vaccination,” said Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication. “There is no cure for polio. Once a child is paralyzed, it is permanent and irreversible. Fortunately, repeated vaccination can protect children from the paralytic effects of this devastating disease.”
Ms. Ayesha emphasized the importance of immediate action, urging parents, caretakers, teachers, and community elders to prioritize vaccinating the children under their care. "One child affected by polio means that hundreds of others could silently carry the virus. No child is safe until all children in Pakistan are repeatedly vaccinated, building a barrier that prevents the virus from spreading."
The Pakistan Polio Programme is executing a strategic plan aimed at stopping virus transmission by mid-2025. Developed in consultation with all provinces, the strategy focuses on reaching every child, particularly in high-risk areas, improving vaccination campaign quality, building community trust, vaccinating mobile and migrant populations, and enhancing management for better results.
As part of this strategy, the Programme recently concluded a mass vaccination campaign that reached 33 million children under five across 115 districts. A second mass campaign is scheduled for October 28.
Muhammad Anwarul Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Center for Polio Eradication, reiterated the importance of national unity against polio. "We must ensure every child is vaccinated during every campaign and routine immunization to collectively defeat this disease."
Pakistan has recorded 26 polio cases this year: 15 from Balochistan, seven from Sindh, two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.