Health: Pakistan Confirms New Polio Case As Tally Reaches 46 In 2024

Pakistan's health ministry confirmed one new case of polio in the southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, bringing the total number of polio-infected children to 46 this year. The latest case was confirmed as wild ` by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health. Balochistan has been the hardest-hit province, accounting for 23 of the total cases, followed by Sindh with 12, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 9, and one case each in Punjab and Islamabad. The health ministry highlighted that the surge in Balochistan underscores the significant risks children face due to missed vaccination opportunities. The ministry stressed the importance of multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completing the full vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five to prevent further outbreaks.