PESHAWAR: Pakistan`s fight against polio has turned out to be an embarrassing failure as the incidence of the crippling disease has reached a record high.

According to the relevant officials, the nationwide polio cases seen between January and April 2014 are more than those reported in the firstfour months of every year during the last decade.

They believe the country`s `extremely poor` performance against polio, especially during the current low transmission season, is enough to alarm international community.

`Epidemiologically, the JanuaryApril period is considered a very low transmission season for polio virus but a flurry of cases seen during this period is unprecedented and upsetting,` an official of the Expanded Progrannne on Immunisation told Dawn on Saturday.

The official said 198 polio cases reported in 2011 was a record during the last decade.

According to a 10-year compara-tive study of polio incidence between January and April, the country reported 12 cases in 2004, seven in 2005, three in 2006, seven in 2007, nine in 2008, 15 in 2009, 20 in 2010, 39 in 2011, 16 in 2012, eight in 2013 and 58 in 2014.

The nationwide polio cases totaled 53 in 2004, 28 in 2005, 40 in 2006, 32 in 2007, 117 in 2008, 89 in 2009, 144 in 2010, 198 in 2011, 58 in 2012 and 93 in 2013.

Interestingly, the cases reported at the end of 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 were less that those recorded in the first four months of 2014 only.

With a total of 198 cases, 2011 has been the worst yrear in the fight against polio in the country since 2004.Now the relevant officials feel there is a possibility of 2014 being the `darkest year` in the country`s an.

ti-polio fight as more and more cases are surfacing, especially from North Waziristan agency, which has recorded 40 cases until now this year.

`Under the current circumstances, there is no indication of any improvement (on anti-polio front). The incidence of refusals of vaccination against polio is increasing with no solution in sight. The Taliban militants` ban on polio vaccination in North and South Waziristan agencies has been affecting not only the local children but also those from the nearby southem districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,` an official said.