ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has confirmed its 13th case of polio for the year 2025, with the latest case involving an 18-month-old girl from Union Council Amakhel in Tank district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The virus was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Islamabad.
With the inclusion of this latest case, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported the highest number of polio cases in the country, with a total of seven. Sindh follows with four cases, while Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have reported one case each.
The Pakistan Polio Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) has acknowledged the challenges faced in reaching some of the more difficult-to-access areas in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The region’s ongoing issues with accessibility have hampered house-to-house vaccination campaigns, which continue to face significant hurdles.
Since January 2025, Pakistan has undertaken three nationwide immunisation campaigns to combat the spread of polio, targeting over 45 million children. These efforts are supported by more than 400,000 frontline health workers, including 225,000 female vaccinators.
Despite the progress made, the presence of the virus remains a serious concern, with polio virus detected in sewage samples collected from various regions across Pakistan, including Quetta, Larkana, Rawalpindi, and South Waziristan.
The Pakistani government, alongside international partners, remains committed to eradicating polio, with a focus on ensuring all children under five receive the necessary vaccinations. However, challenges persist, particularly in conflict-prone and underserved areas where vaccine access remains limited.
