Pakistan reported two new polio cases in the southern province of Sindh, health officials said Monday, a blow to efforts aimed at eradicating the crippling disease among children. This brings the total to 29 cases across the country since January, despite several immunization drives.
The virus was detected in two young girls in the cities of Badin and Thatta, according to a statement from the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program.
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where transmission of the wild poliovirus has never been stopped, according to the World Health Organization. Some parents in Pakistan still refuse to vaccinate their children, while others live in hard-to-access areas, experts say.
