Latest news with #WPV1
Express Tribune
14-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
City tops polio vaccine refusal cases
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday that his ministry had issued guidelines for the prevention of the polio virus across the country but emphasised that that eradication of the virus from environment was the responsibility of authorities working at grassroots levels. Talking to media persons after chairing a meeting with the officials of anti-polio in Karachi, Kamal stated that the new phase of anti-polio campaign would commence from April 21. He urged the parents to get their children immunised against the polio virus for the healthy and better future of their children. Kamal revealed that there were 44,000 polio vaccine refusal cases in the country, out of which 34,000 were in Karachi, including 27,000 in the city's East District alone. "Out of them, 15,000 refusals were reported from Urdu-speaking parents and 10,000 from Pashto speaking families in the city," he said. Refuting the perception of polio vaccination's side or negative effects as rumours, he said that the anti-polio vaccination was totally safe and the parents should get their children vaccinated. He added that the vaccination was purchased by Unicef and it handed over by them to the government. The new anti-polio vaccine was announced, as officials said that environmental surveillance detected wild poliovirus in sewage samples from 20 districts of the country, though the data suggested a decline in overall virus circulation. According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), 60 samples were collected from 51 districts. Of these, 25 tested positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), while 35 others showed no presence of the virus. The samples that confirmed the presence of WPV1 came from Dukki, Kech, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Loralai, Nasirabad, Pishin, Quetta, Usta Muhammad, Bannu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Peshawar, South Waziristan Lower, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Multan, and Rahim Yar Khan districts. Samples from Islamabad, Gilgit, Rawalpindi, Swat, Sahiwal, Nowshera, and others districts tested negative, pointing to improved control measures in several areas. "The trend shows a decline in positive samples and a reduction in virus circulation in many areas," an NIH official said. Pakistan has reported only six polio cases so far in 2025, down from 74 in 2024. Officials credit improved immunisation drives since September last year. "Repeated vaccination strengthens immunity and helps stop the spread," the official added. (WITH INPUTS FROM APP)
Express Tribune
16-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Poliovirus detected in 12 samples
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples of 12 cities. According to official sources, 15 environmental (sewage) samples were collected from 14 districts between February 17 and February 26 and were tested at the NIH lab during the past week. The samples from Multan, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Kasur, Dera Bugti, Lasbela, Quetta, Sibi, South Waziristan Lower, Charsadda and Swabi were tested positive while samples from South Waziristan Lower and North Waziristan tested negative for poliovirus. They said that Pakistan's polio surveillance is among the world's best, with the largest and most sensitive detection system. They said that the program has expanded its environmental surveillance sites from 65 in 2021 to 127 in 2025.
Express Tribune
21-02-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
74th polio case
Earlier this month, Pakistan confirmed its 74th case of the wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2024. Out of three poliovirus variations, wild polio types 2 and 3 have been completely eradicated from the world while wild polio type 1 exists only in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is gravely dismaying that Pakistan is still having to deal with never-ending cases of the poliovirus, despite repeated countrywide vaccination attempts. Most of the cases have been recorded in the Shikarpur district of Sindh, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa only has 1 reported case. The Health Department of Sindh needs to take stricter measures to ensure the safety of its residents and make polio vaccinations easily accessible throughout the country. Sadia Rauf Turbat
Express Tribune
13-02-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Pakistan reports second polio case of 2025
Listen to article Pakistan has confirmed its second case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) for 2025, as reported by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health. The confirmation, issued on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, came from the Badin district in Sindh. This follows the first case of the year, reported earlier from DI Khan district in South Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In 2024, Pakistan saw 74 confirmed cases of polio, with 27 from Balochistan, 22 from K-P, 23 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. Polio, a disease that causes paralysis and has no cure, can be prevented through vaccination. The Pakistan Polio Program emphasises the importance of multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and the completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under five years old. The government continues to run mass vaccination drives throughout the year, ensuring that the vaccine reaches children at their homes. The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025, conducted from February 3 to 9, successfully reached 99% of its target, vaccinating more than 45 million children. The program also ensures that every child under five years old receives polio drops to protect them from the virus's debilitating effects. The Expanded Program on Immunization also provides free vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases at health facilities across the country. Parents are urged to keep their children up to date with vaccinations to prevent the spread of polio and other preventable diseases. Earlier, three out of five environmental samples collected during the recent anti-polio campaign tested positive for the polio virus, highlighting the continued presence of the disease in the district. In response, health officials have announced a new anti-polio campaign in April, with a special focus on vaccinating children from migrant families to curb the virus's spread.
Express Tribune
12-02-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
74th polio case of 2024 detected in Shikarpur
ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed Pakistan's 74th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2024. The latest case was reported from Shikarpur, with onset on December 15, 2024. This marks the second polio case from Shikarpur in 2024. Pakistan has reported a total of 74 cases in 2024. Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 23 from Sindh, 22 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. So far, in 2025, only one polio case has been reported, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
