The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed two new polio cases in Pakistan — one each from Lower Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Badin district in Sindh.
The latest infections were reported in a six-year-old girl from Union Council Pattan, Lower Kohistan, and a 21-month-old girl from Union Council Matli-2, Badin. With these detections, the country’s total number of polio cases in 2025 has risen to 21, including 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Sindh, and one case each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Polio remains a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause permanent paralysis. The only effective defence is through repeated administration of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to every child under the age of five during each campaign, in addition to timely completion of all routine immunisations.
Despite significant progress, the continued detection of polio cases shows that children remain at risk in areas with low vaccine acceptance.
From September 1 to 7, 2025, a Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign will take place, targeting more than 28 million children under the age of five in 99 districts across all provinces and regions.
The Campaign in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be conducted from September 15. The goal is to ensure every child in these districts receives the vaccine to protect them from the lifelong consequences of polio.
This campaign is part of ongoing efforts to quickly strengthen immunity among children and close existing protection gaps. Parents and caregivers are strongly urged to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine during this and every campaign.
Polio eradication is a shared responsibility. While frontline health workers continue to deliver critical vaccines to children, parents and caregivers play an important role by ensuring their children receive all recommended doses of the polio vaccine and complete their routine immunisations.
Communities can protect their children by actively supporting vaccination efforts, countering misinformation, and encouraging others to vaccinate.
Published in The News on August 18, 2025.
