ISLAMABAD: At least three new cases of poliovirus were confirmed from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh on Sunday, bringing Pakistan’s national count to 17 for the year 2025.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of cases in Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan and Umerkot.
According to a press release, the cases were detected in a 15-month-old girl from UC Takhtikhel in district Lakki Marwat, a six-month-old girl from UC Mir Ali-3 in North Waziristan, and a 60-month-old boy from UC Chajro in district Umerkot, Sindh.
“With these new detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has risen to 17 — including ten from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, five from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan,” read the statement.
“Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential immunisations,” it said.
Meanwhile, a special vaccination campaign is currently underway from July 21 to 27 in the bordering union councils, synchronised with Afghanistan’s sub-national polio campaign.
“In addition, a fractional IPV-OPV campaign began in District Chaman on July 21 and will roll out in the other six districts of Balochistan from July 28, the statement said. -Agencies
