First polio case reported from Ghotki

ISLAMABAD: Poliovirus has crippled one more child in Pakistan, this time in the Ghotki district of Sindh, where a 3-year-old boy who had not received a single dose of Routine Immunization (RI) has been paralyzed for life.

This marks Pakistan’s 47th case of wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1) in 2024 and the first from Ghotki, with previous cases concentrated in regions like Balochistan and Sindh.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the diagnosis on November 8, following stool sample analyses.

According to the Ministry of Health, the child, a resident of Tehsil Khangarh in Ghotki, displayed symptoms on October 15, 2024, after a fever subsided only to reveal weakness in his left upper limb. A clinical assessment reported hypotonia and diminished reflexes in the affected limb, with no travel history for the child or his family. The child’s immunization history shows zero routine doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) but more than seven doses through supplementary immunization activities. Experts emphasize the importance of routine OPV doses to build immunity against the virus, which is known to cause lifelong paralysis.

The Ministry of Health has urged parents across Pakistan to ensure multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine for all children under five and complete routine vaccinations. “The oral polio vaccine is essential to protect children from the lifelong disability that polio can cause,” stated the ministry, noting that vaccines were available free of charge at health centres under the Expanded Programme for Immunization.

The ongoing transmission of wild poliovirus in Pakistan, which borders districts previously reporting the virus, underscores the critical need for continued vigilance and vaccination efforts to eradicate polio.