WHO experts concerned over polio circulation in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organization (WHO) WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization has expressed concern about renewed wild poliovirus 1 (WPV1) circulation in Pakistan as Pakistan’s National Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health Islamabad confirmed the detection of Type-1 Wild Poliovirus (WPV1) in two more environmental samples collected in September 2022.

Officials at NIH Islamabad Wednesday said new positive environmental samples were detected from District Bannu and Swat, adding that this is the 9th positive sample from Bannu and the 5th positive sample from Swat, this year. The total number of positive environmental samples in 2022 is 31. So far, 21 positive environmental samples have been detected from KP including nine from Bannu, five each from Peshawar and Swat, and one each from Nowshera and South Waziristan while eight positive samples have been detected from Punjab including three each from Lahore and Rawalpindi and one each from Bahawalpur & Sialkot). One positive sample each from Sindh from Landhi Karachi and Islamabad has also been detected this year. In 2021, 65 positive environmental samples were detected in the country.

Giving the details of positive environmental sample from Bannu, the NIH official said the environmental sample was collected on 27th September 2022 from the ‘Sokari Jabbar Chowk (Muslimabad) Tributary Bannu’. This is the 9th positive sample from district Bannu in 2022. Previous positive sample from the district was detected on 1st September 2022 from the Hinjal Noorabad site, he said adding that the last Wild Poliovirus case from the district was reported in April 2020. The recent Polio campaign in the district was conducted on 22 – 25 September (mop-up in 9 UCs). Next campaign would be conducted from 24th October.

As far as Swat is concerned, the environmental sample was collected on 27th September 2022 from the ‘Sharifabad tributary’, he said adding that this is the 5th positive sample from district Swat in 2022. Previous positive sample from the district was detected on 20th September 2022 from the Saidu Sharif site.