Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Pakistan launches new anti-polio drive after 3rd case found

A health worker gives a polio vaccine to a child in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, May 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) A health worker gives a polio vaccine to a child in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, May 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
Share
ISLAMABAD -

Pakistan launched a new anti-polio drive on Monday, more than a week after officials detected the third case so far this year in the country's northwestern region bordering Afghanistan.

The campaign -- the third one this year -- is to last for five days, aiming to inoculate 40 million children under the age of 5 across the country.

Pakistan has previously carried out two anti-polio campaigns this year, in January and March, after discovering only one case of the disease last year, which raised hopes the country was close to eliminating polio. This year's first case was registered in April.

A statement from Dr. Shahbaz Baig, the spokesperson for the country's polio program, urged parents to cooperate with polio workers in the door-to-door campaign.

Pakistan's anti-polio campaigns are regularly marked by violence. Islamic militants often target polio teams and police assigned to protect them, falsely claiming the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.

During the March campaign, gunmen in northwestern Pakistan shot and killed a female polio worker as she was returning home after a day of vaccinations. And in January, gunmen shot and killed a police officer providing security for polio vaccination workers, also in the country's northwest.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only remaining countries in the world still trying to eradicate polio, which can cause severe paralysis in children.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.