Bannu: Three-year-old boy has tested positive for crippling disease in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa making it first polio case of year 2023 in country, it emerged.

Boy is resident of Ghora Bakka Khel in Bannu. Crippling disease has affected both legs of minor boy. Patient and his family have no travel history, confirmed authorities.

Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Abdul Qadir Patel on January 24 confirmed country’s first detection of wild poliovirus in 2023 found in an environmental sample in Lahore. However, virus has been periodically detected in its sewage water. Poliovirus found in Gulshan-e-Ravi’s sample found links to Afghanistan’s Nangahar province from last November, Pakistan Polio Laboratory at National Institute of Health said. Meanwhile, Patel said that two “Countries are united in fight against virus and are working together to eradicate” crippling disease. He renewed government’s commitment to completely eradicate crippling disease from country.

Stressing need to vaccinate children timely, Minister said: “Only way to stop virus is to vaccinate all children under age of five. It is critically important that parents and caregivers, particularly in Lahore ensure that their child is vaccinated in February round.”

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 18 2023

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