NEOC’s focal person Dr. Ayesha Raza Farooq indicated that disruptions in polio vaccination campaigns in parts of Balochistan have contributed to the virus’s spread. She emphasized the critical need for multiple vaccine doses to reach every child to support eradication efforts.

Recent statistics from the National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed that Pakistan has seen a total of 45 polio cases over the past four years.

The number of cases has fluctuated significantly, with only one case reported in 2021, rising to 20 in 2022, and eight in 2023. For 2024, the confirmed cases have reached 16.

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3-year-old child infected with polio in Bannu

The government has shown commitment to combating polio, allocating $80 million for the National Polio Eradication Program this year, following a budget of $187 million in 2023 and $180 million in 2022.

Since January 2022, expenditures on polio eradication efforts have totaled $447 million.