ISLAMABAD: Two new cases of polio have been confirmed by Polio Virology Laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

An official of the Ministry of National Health Services said that one case was reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the other from Fata. The number of reported cases this year has now risen to 166.

Salma, a 16-month-old daughter of Abdul Wajid, has been diagnosed with an early stage of paralysis. The child is a resident of Sheen Kamar Village in tehsil Tirah of Khyber Agency.

The other child is eight month-old Habiba, daughter of Subhanallah. She is a resident of Gharibabad Batatal village in tehsil Peshawar.

“Salma did not receive any dose of polio vaccine as no polio campaign has been undertaken in Fata since the ban imposed by Taliban in June 2012. However, parents of the Pehawar-based girl refused to get her vaccinated,” an official said.

He said 119 cases had been reported from Fata this year, 28 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 14 from Sindh, three from Balochistan and two from Punjab.

“Every year count of polio cases is increasing. In 2012, as many as 58 polio cases were recorded. In 2013, the number of cases reported was 93. We are in ninth month of this year but the count of polio cases has already touched 166.”

Because of increasing polio cases, Pakistan is likely to face embarrassment at the meeting of the Independent Monitoring Board for Polio scheduled to be held in London on Sept 30.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2014