Pakistan has diagnosed yet another polio case, taking the total number of diagnosed cases in the country this year to 18.

The latest case comes from a 24-month-old male child in Quetta district, an official of Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health told Dawn News on Wednesday.

“This is the second polio case from Quetta district, the 13th from Balochistan, and the 18th case in the country this year (13 cases reported from Balochistan province, three from Sindh, one from Punjab, and one from Islamabad),” he said.

“The genetic cluster is YB3A4A and the case is 99.22 per cent linked to the first polio case of Quetta, which had an onset date of 29th April, 2024,” the official said.

PM’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, has expressed concern over the rising cases of polio especially in Balochistan.

“What we are seeing is the outcome of missed vaccination opportunities in parts of Balochistan which have allowed the virus to thrive and survive over time,” she told Dawn News.

“The high number of cases on both sides of the border, underscores the risk to children across the country and the importance of vaccination during upcoming polio campaigns,” Farooq said.