ISLAMABAD, Feb 16 (NNN-APP) – Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), has been detected in environmental samples collected from eight districts of Pakistan, between Jan 15 and Jan 24, this year, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said in a statement, yesterday.
According to the latest data, released by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH, sewage samples collected from four districts of the country’s south-west Balochistan province and three districts of north-west Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, tested positive for WPV1 as of Friday.
The NIH stressed the need for multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and the completion of the routine immunisation, scheduled for children under five, to ensure high immunity.
To curb the spread of the poliovirus, Pakistan’s Polio Programme conducts mass vaccination drives, delivering vaccines to children at their doorsteps, the statement said.
The first nationwide polio campaign of this year, conducted from Feb 3 to Feb 9, successfully vaccinated over 45 million children, achieving 99 percent of the targeted coverage across the country, the statement said.
The campaign aimed to ensure that all children under five receive polio drops, safeguarding them from the crippling effects of the virus.
Pakistan remains one of the few countries where polio is still endemic, making vaccination campaigns critical to eradicating the disease.– NNN-APP
