NA body informed of first monkeypox death in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: In a briefing, the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health was informed that the first death from monkeypox has been reported in the country.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health, briefed the committee, revealing that six cases of monkeypox have been confirmed countrywide, with one fatality.

The deceased, he said, was also HIV-positive.

Dr. Ahmed further disclosed that 69 suspected cases of the disease have been reported across the country.

Polio Update: Meanwhile, Anwar ul Haq, the National Coordinator for Polio, informed the committee that 335 environmental samples have tested positive for the poliovirus this year, with confirmed cases reported in 67 districts. So far, 21 polio cases have been recorded.

Breaking down the figures, Haq stated that 20 districts in Balochistan, 18 in Sindh, 14 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 13 in Punjab have been affected by poliovirus.

He regretted that four polio workers lost their lives during vaccination campaigns, adding that in some areas, particularly Qila Abdullah in Balochistan, children missed polio vaccinations due to security concerns, disrupting the campaign.