The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Sunday confirmed three new cases of poliovirus in the country, raising this year’s total number of reported cases to 17.
According to NIH officials, the newly detected cases have been reported from Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Umerkot in Sindh.
A 15-month-old girl in Lakki Marwat, a 6-month-old girl in North Waziristan, and a 5-year-old boy in Umerkot have all tested positive for the virus.
With these new cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains the most affected province, accounting for 10 of the 17 reported cases. Sindh has recorded five cases so far, while Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have reported one case each.
Health authorities have raised concerns over the growing number of polio cases, particularly in high-risk districts.
The NIH reiterated that polio remains an incurable disease and that prevention through vaccination is the only effective method to protect children.
