QUETTA – Pakistan has reported a new case of polio in its southwestern region near Afghanistan. An 18-month-old boy from the Zhob district in Balochistan has been diagnosed with the disease, bringing the total number of cases in Pakistan for 2024 to nine.
The child, who lives in the Hassan Zai Urban area, showed symptoms of the virus in recent weeks. Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed, the PM’s Coordinator on Health, mentioned that genetic testing of the virus is underway. He noted that seven of the nine cases this year have been from Balochistan. Dr. Ahmed expressed concern about the reemergence of polio in the region, highlighting that the virus is present in over 50 districts, posing a significant threat to children.
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Last month, Pakistan reported two additional polio cases from Sindh and Balochistan, increasing the total for 2024 to eight. The National Institute of Health confirmed these cases involved a two-year-old from Qila Abdullah in Balochistan and a three-year-old girl from Karachi Kemari, with symptoms appearing on May 22 and June 3, respectively.
