PESHAWAR – A new case of wild poliovirus type 1 has been confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing Pakistan’s total number of polio cases in 2025 to 18, according to health authorities.
The case was reported in Tank district, one of the areas considered high-risk for polio transmission. Most of this year’s cases have emerged from southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including districts such as North Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and Tank.
Of the 18 cases so far in 2025, ten have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, five in Sindh, and one each in Punjab, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan. Health officials say the persistence of the virus underscores the challenges in achieving complete vaccination coverage, especially in remote and rural areas.
Polio remains endemic in Pakistan, which, alongside Afghanistan, is one of only two countries where wild poliovirus continues to circulate. Environmental surveillance has also detected the virus in sewage samples in multiple provinces, indicating ongoing community transmission.
Health experts have urged parents to ensure their children under five receive all doses of the oral polio vaccine during national campaigns. They stressed that repeated vaccination is essential to prevent paralysis and eliminate the virus from high-risk areas.
A targeted anti-polio drive is currently underway in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, focusing on areas where previous campaigns missed children. Authorities have announced plans for further operations in Tank and surrounding districts to strengthen immunity among vulnerable populations.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.