Pakistan reports three new polio cases, 2024 tally reaches 55

Three new polio cases were reported from Pakistan on Sunday, taking the total number of active cases in the country this year to 55, the officials have confirmed.

Pakistan’s massive and unending struggle to root out polio continues as the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the detection of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) in three districts, including Dera Ismail Khan, Zhob and Jaffarabad.

Dera Ismail Khan, a district in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, has reported six polio cases this year. Meanwhile, the southwestern districts of Zhob and Jaffarabad have reported three and two cases, respectively, the statement said.

The World Health Organisation has warned that detection of the latest cases in Pakistan is an alarming sign, putting children in several districts at severe risk.

In a separate development, financial irregularities amounting to Rs1.9 billion were unearthed in the procurement of Rs4.4 billion worth of medicines during the tenure of the previous caretaker KP government, said a report.

It said that the findings, submitted to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, highlight procurement of non-essential items, violations of policy and systemic lapses that led to severe shortage of emergency medicines in June 2024.

The chief minister had formed a committee, headed by his adviser Brig (retd) Mussadiq Abbasi. The report will be sent to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further investigation. Abbasi said that they were going to initiate departmental action against those involved in the scandal.

The report disclosed that an amount of Rs1.86 billion was spent on unnecessary and non-emergency items, while Rs3.17 billion worth of medicines and medical supplies were distributed to a few select centres, with Rs1.08 billion directed to just six facilities.

It was revealed that the district health officer of North Waziristan received a massive consignment of items like gowns, condoms, disposable OT sheets, and gloves, despite no requisition or need.

Tariq Butt / IANS