Two new cases of polio confirmed in Pukhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR: Two more cases of polio, one in Hazara division and the other in Swat valley, were confirmed by the National Institute of Health on Friday.
Sources in the health department informed that one case was reported in Matta tehsil of Swat where one-year-old Inayatullah was tested positive for polio, adding that the affected child had not received any dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV) as the vaccination drive could not be run in the restive valley during the current year owing to fragile security situation.
Similarly, they added, the other case was reported in Hazara division where one and half years old Haseena was affected by the dangerous P1 virus.
Sources informed that the total number of polio cases in the province had become 40 while 72 in the country during the current year after the detection of the fresh two cases.
Health officials told the Statesman that the department was facing many challenges in the eradication of the fatal virus including refusals, inaccessibility of health workers to conflict zones, high prevalence of illiteracy among parents, cross-border movement, weakly routine immunisation programme and lack of awareness regarding the significance of polio vaccines.
They were of the view that especially the war on terrorism had been creating problems for vaccinators to visit the troubled areas, urging the mediamen to play their role in raising the level of people's awareness about the deadly ailment.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sahibzada Muhammad Anees informed that as many as 7,42,800 children were administered vaccines during the recent polio drive in the province, adding Swat was also included in the anti-polio drive, where polio drive could not be conducted owing to the precarious law and order situation in the past.