A new polio case has been confirmed in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, raising Pakistan’s total number of polio cases for the year to 21, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Pakistan, alongside Afghanistan, remains one of the last countries where polio is still endemic, despite ongoing global efforts to eradicate the virus. The NIH’s Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirmed the new cases: a six-year-old girl from Union Council Pattan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohistan district and a 21-month-old girl from UC Matli-2 in Sindh’s Badin.
The latest cases bring the total for 2025 to 21, with 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause permanent paralysis. The only effective prevention is the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which should be given to every child under five during each vaccination campaign, as well as through the completion of all routine immunizations.
A nationwide polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to take place from September 1 to 7, aiming to vaccinate over 28 million children across 99 districts in all provinces. A campaign in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be conducted starting September 15.
The campaign is part of the ongoing effort to close gaps in immunity among children and to ensure that no child remains unvaccinated. Parents and caregivers are strongly encouraged to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine during this and every campaign.
The Sindh government expressed concern about the new case. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah called for prompt action and emphasized the importance of completing the full vaccination schedule.
Last week, polio virus traces were found in 36% of samples tested across 87 districts in Pakistan. The country reported at least 71 polio cases in 2024, with the virus detected in approximately 90 districts.
