Port Moresby: Polio has recently resurfaced in the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea.

According to Anadolu Agency, UNICEF Papua New Guinea said in a statement on Thursday that they are "stepping up support to the government to ensure every child is vaccinated following the detection of poliovirus."

The detection of the virus has triggered the activation of a national emergency response to protect children across the country, as mentioned in the statement. Polio was reportedly detected in two children, marking a significant health concern for the region.

Papua New Guinea's Health Minister Elias Kapavore earlier issued a public warning after the virus was detected in wastewater from the capital, Port Moresby, and the city of Lae, according to PNG Facts online news. The last outbreak in the country occurred in 2018, underscoring the importance of maintaining vigilant health measures.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus and is transmitted from person to person, and less frequently, by a common vehicle like contaminated water, according to WHO. The virus mainly affects children under five years of age and has the potential to leave one in 200 with irreversible paralysis.