New countrywide polio detections raise alarm despite strong vaccination drive

ISLAMABAD: The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) announced on Monday that wild poliovirus type 1 has been detected in sewage samples from 18 districts across Pakistan, raising fresh concerns about the persistence of the virus in one of the last two endemic countries in the world.

Between April 7 and 17, a total of 38 environmental samples were collected from 31 districts and tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication located at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad. Of these, samples from Loralai, Quetta, Zhob, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Tank, North Waziristan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Badin, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Kashmore, Karachi, and Sukkur tested positive for the poliovirus.

Conversely, samples taken from districts including Noshki, Sibi, Charsadda, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Swat, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Rajanpur returned negative results, indicating no viral presence in those areas.

While the virus continues to circulate in some parts of the country, officials noted encouraging trends in containment efforts. "High-quality campaigns conducted since September 2024 have led to a significant decline in polio cases across the country," the NEOC said in its statement.

The second nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2025, held from April 21 to 27, successfully reached 45.4 million children under the age of five.

The NEOC credited the achievement to the dedication of frontline workers, law enforcement personnel, healthcare professionals, and parents who ensured their children were vaccinated.

Looking ahead, the next national vaccination round is scheduled from May 26 to June 1, with a similar goal of reaching 45.4 million children.

The NEOC underscored the importance of sustained immunization: “Each dose boosts a child’s immunity. Missing even one child during campaigns can leave communities vulnerable to the virus and reverse the progress made.”

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities reported improved outreach, with vaccine coverage increasing from 93% in February to 98% in April. Meanwhile, Rawalpindi’s week-long campaign that concluded on April 27 saw over 800,000 children vaccinated.

Pakistan, alongside Afghanistan, remains among the final frontiers in the global fight to eradicate polio. Persistent challenges—including misinformation, vaccine resistance, and access limitations—continue to hamper complete elimination of the virus.