In the past week, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in environmental samples collected from 12 districts, including 11 already infected districts.
Sewage samples collected from Hub, Usta Mohammad, Dera Bugti, Naseerabad, Quetta, DI Khan, Tank, Bannu, Attock, Jhang, Multan, and Khanewal between December 12 and December 16, 2024, tested positive for WPV1.
This is the first positive sewage sample detection from Khanewal for 2024.
Polio remains incurable but entirely preventable through multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine. The Polio Programme continues to deliver vaccines to children at their doorsteps multiple times a year. Parents and caregivers are urged to ensure that every child under five receives two drops of the vaccine during each campaign to protect them against the paralyzing effects of polio.
