Two new cases of the polio virus emerged in Pakistan on Thursday, bringing the total number of polio cases in the country to 67, officials said.

One of the cases was reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank while the other originated from Sindh’s Kashmore.

Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic and the vaccination teams frequently come under attack by militants targeting security forces.

Earlier this month, the government launched its last campaign of this year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps while the Expanded Programme on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities.

The December sub-national Polio vaccination campaign in Balochistan province is scheduled to begin on December 30, during which all 36 districts of the province will be targeted for vaccination.

In Balochistan, the number of children affected by polio has reached 27. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa each have 19 reported cases of polio. Moreover, one case has been confirmed in both Islamabad and Punjab.

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Polio can easily be prevented by the oral administration of a few drops of vaccine, but in parts of rural Pakistan health workers risk their lives to save others.

Scores of polio vaccination workers and their escorts have been killed over the years.

In September, dozens of Pakistani policemen who accompany medical teams on door-to-door campaigns went on strike after a string of militant attacks.