PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Two more polio cases have surfaced in northwestern parts of the country on Wednesday, according to the health department.
The total number of polio cases confirmed in Pakistan this year has reached nine with the emergency of two fresh cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA).
The health department officials said that one polio case was found in Peshawar while another was witnessed in Khyber agency.
Pakistan continues to remain one of only three countries in the world where polio is still categorized as an endemic viral infection.
Last year, Pakistan witnessed 296 polio cases, the highest number of such cases reported in the country since 1998.
However, attempts to eradicate the crippling disease in the country have been badly hit by consistent militant attacks on polio vaccination teams.
The militant groups continue to target polio workers, claiming that the polio vaccination is a cover for espionage or a Western conspiracy to sterilise Muslims.
