KABUL, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of poliomyelitis cases in Afghanistan reached 13 in 2016 after a new case of the crippling disease was detected last month, the country's Public Health Ministry confirmed in a statement on Monday.
"A 24-month child named Bismillah was affected by polio virus in Mahgar village, Bermal district of eastern Paktika province on Dec. 16, 2016. An investigation by health authorities found the case of Bermal was a polio case," said the statement.
Polio is a crippling disease that can not be treated but can be prevented through vaccination.
The latest confirmed case has brought the total number of polio cases to 13 in Afghanistan last year and out of the total number, seven cases were reported in Bermal, the statement noted.
After the detection of the fresh case, the ministry has planned to launch an anti-polio campaign throughout Paktika and neighboring Nangarhar province, according to the statement.
Afghanistan remains one of the last three polio-endemic countries in the world.
The ongoing insurgency and conflicts have hindered efforts to stamp out the disease in the mountainous country.
