Pakistan’s total number of polio cases in 2024 reached 50 after another wild poliovirus (WPV1) case was detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the latest case in a girl-child from the Tank district of KPK.

KP discusses surge in polio cases and eradication strategy

“Genetic sequencing of the virus isolated from collected samples indicates it is genetically linked to WPV1 detected in the same district in July,” a notification from the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme read.

So far, 24 cases have been reported from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 11 from KP and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a polio eradication meeting in Islamabad, and reiterated the government’s commitment to eradicate polio from Pakistan.

“We will not rest until polio is permanently eradicated,” the prime minister said.

In September, Pakistan launched its third nationwide polio campaign this year as the number of cases drastically rose from only six recorded cases in 2023, after 20 in 2022 and just one in 2021.