Pakistan has confirmed another case of polio, bringing the total number of cases this year to 49. The latest infection was detected in Jaffarabad, Balochistan, marking the district’s first confirmed polio case and highlighting the ongoing spread of the virus across the country.

Health authorities announced that genetic sequencing conducted by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad traced the virus to a WPV1 strain previously identified in Pishin, Balochistan, in April. This connection indicates active transmission within the province, which has reported 24 cases to date, making it the hardest-hit area in the country.

Recently, infections have also been reported in other regions; Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Ghotki in Sindh both recorded their first cases of the year just last week.

Balochistan leads with the highest number of cases at 24, followed by Sindh with 13, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 10, and one case each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world with wild poliovirus transmission has not been eradicated. The ongoing spread is attributed to various challenges, including insecurity, misinformation, and community resistance, which hinder vaccination efforts.

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Health officials are urging parents to participate actively in polio vaccination campaigns regularly conducted by the government. Polio is a highly infectious disease primarily affecting children under five, particularly those who are malnourished or inadequately vaccinated. The disease can invade the nervous system, causing paralysis or death.