ISLAMABAD: The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has confirmed two new polio cases in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing the total number of cases in Pakistan this year to 23.

According to the NEOC, the affected children belong to Tank district and North Waziristan. The Centre warned that polio is an incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, stressing that children in hard-to-reach areas or those where vaccination is refused remain at serious risk.

The NEOC stated that high-quality vaccination campaigns are being carried out to stop the spread of the poliovirus.

A nationwide immunization drive will begin on September 1, while in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the campaign will commence on September 15.

More than 28 million children across 99 designated districts are targeted to receive polio drops during the upcoming campaign, the NEOC added.

The NEOC appealed to parents to ensure that all children under the age of five are vaccinated against polio.