Battle against polio

The first positive sample of 2023, whose genetics matched the virus discovered in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar region in November 2022, was confirmed on January 19 by the polio lab of the National Institutes of Health. This was the first indication of polio transmission across international borders in more than a year. On January 27, a second positive sample was discovered that shared genetic characteristics with the virus that had been isolated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s southern regions. Over six million youngsters will receive preventive drops as part of an anti-polio campaign that has begun in 39 districts throughout the nation following the detection of the polio virus in the Lahore outbreak. The Federal Ministry of Health’s report states that a full campaign is currently underway in seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Lahore and Faisalabad, and a partial campaign is currently underway in a number of union councils across 30 districts. Some union councils in Sheikhupura, 57 in the border region next to Afghanistan, 58 in the camps for Afghan refugees, 107 in Multan, and 37 in Balochistan are among them. No case of polio virus has been reported in Balochistan for two years. Last year, 37 environmental samples of wild polio virus were positive in 13 districts. In seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Lahore and Faisalabad, a full campaign is currently underway, according to a report from the Federal Ministry of Health, while partial campaigning is currently taking place in a number of union councils across 30 districts. Among them are a few union councils in Sheikhupura, 57 in an Afghan border region, 58 in refugee camps, 107 in Multan, and 37 in Balochistan. In Balochistan, there hasn’t been a case of polio reported in two years. In 13 areas last year, the wild poliovirus was detected in 37 environmental samples.