The National Anti-Polio Programme announced on Wednesday that Pakistan has reported another case of polio, bringing the total number of cases this year to 22. The latest case involves a 30-month-old boy from Pishin in Balochistan, where 14 poliovirus cases have already been confirmed this year. In addition, the southern Sindh province has reported four cases, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad each have one reported case.

Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains one of the last polio-endemic countries in the world. The country has experienced a resurgence of polio cases since late 2018, raising concerns about the stability of the gains achieved in previous years.

Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, emphasized that each case represents a child whose life has been unnecessarily impacted by polio. She highlighted that the only effective solution to combat the disease is timely and repeated vaccinations. “Every polio case is a tragic reminder that the country has failed its children,” she stated, urging parents to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine.

In response to the increasing number of cases, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme has announced plans for two large-scale, door-to-door vaccination campaigns later this year to address immunity gaps and curb the spread of the poliovirus.