Pakistan reports another polio case, raising 2024 tally to 56

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) — Pakistan reported another polio case on Wednesday, increasing the total number of cases in the country this year to 56, said the National Institute of Health (NIH).
According to a statement, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH confirmed the detection of the Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1).
The NIH added that the latest case was reported from Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
Pakistan is responding to an intense resurgence of WPV1 this year with 56 cases reported so far. Balochistan and KP have reported the highest number of cases with 26 and 15, respectively, while 13 have been reported from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
The NIH urged the public to ensure oral polio vaccine for children under age five during every anti-polio campaign. ■