Authorities in Pakistan swung into action after a 15-month-old boy was confirmed infected with the poliovirus—the country’s first case since January 2021 - prompting the government to call a meeting of the National Task Force for Polio Eradication. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed concern over resurfacing of polio, a disease that the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared had been eradicated from much of the world, except Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The country’s National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed on Friday that the case was detected in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a militancy-ridden northeastern tribal province that often sees attacks on vaccination workers. The polio case—the third confirmed case this year worldwide–is being seen as a setback to the world’s attempt to eradicate the virus.

“This is, of course, a tragedy for the child and his family and it is also very unfortunate both for Pakistan and polio eradication efforts all over the world. We are disappointed but not deterred,” Secretary Health Aamir Ashraf was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

He further said, “The case has appeared in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the poliovirus was detected in the environment late last year and where an emergency action plan is already being implemented.”

The detection prompted the government to deploy health workers across the region for emergency immunization campaigns. Officials have also launched a full-scale investigation into the incident. 

Shehbaz Sharif, the country’s prime minister, has expressed concern over the resurfacing of the case and has called the meeting of the National Task Force For Polio Eradication.

Significantly, immunization campaigns in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the region where the was detected, often face multiple problems.

After its emergency meeting on polio last year, the WHO said in a statement, “Much progress has been made but gaining access to certain nomadic tribal groups in south KP where there is ongoing community resistance still poses challenges, including some security issues with reports of attacks on police and soldiers.”