The National Department of Health (NDoH) has confirmed the first case of a child being paralyzed by poliomyelitis since the country declared a polio outbreak in May this year.
NDoH Acting Health Secretary Ken Wai made the announcement during a press briefing on Thursday, alongside representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
According to Mr. Wai, laboratory tests confirmed that a four-year-old unvaccinated child from Lae, Morobe Province, has developed acute flaccid paralysis as a result of the polio virus.
This marks the first confirmed case of paralysis in a child since the resurgence of the disease in Papua New Guinea.
“This is a tragic reminder of the importance of immunization,” said Mr. Wai.
He urged all parents, caregivers, local-level government officials, and community leaders across the country to ensure that children under the age of 10 receive their polio vaccinations.
In response to the case and a sluggish start to the vaccination campaign, Mr. Wai also announced an extension of the nationwide Polio Supplementary Immunization Activity (SIA) until 5th September 2025.
Health authorities, in partnership with international agencies, continue to monitor the situation and ramp up efforts to prevent further spread of the virus.