ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan’s 2025 polio tally has risen to 14 as the National Institute of Health (NIH) has reported a new polio case in the North Waziristan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad has confirmed that a 19-month-old boy from Union Council Miranshah-3, North Waziristan, has been confirmed as the eighth polio case from K-P this year.
With this latest case, the total number of polio cases in the country in the running year now stands at 14, including eight from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, four from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is repeated doses of the polio vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, along with timely completion of all essential immunisations.
Obstacles in anti-polio campaigns
While nationwide efforts to eradicate polio virus from the country continue, the southern districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remain a major concern due to limited access and challenges in conducting house-to-house campaigns.
These hindrances lead to missed opportunities, leaving thousands of children unvaccinated and vulnerable to the poliovirus.
Additionally, preparations are underway for a large-scale special vaccination campaign in southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa scheduled for August.
