ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad has confirmed the detection of the second wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of year 2025.
The lab confirmed the other polio case from District Badin in Sindh province. The first case of 2025 was reported from DI Khan district in South Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
In 2024, a total of 74 such cases were reported across the country. Of these, 22 were from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 23 from Sindh, 27 were from Balochistan and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this disease.
The country’s Polio Program organises multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) provides vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities.
Parents are always advised to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected and immunized.
The first countrywide polio campaign of year 2025 has successfully concluded, with 99% of the targets achieved.
The campaign was conducted from February 3-9. During the campaign, more than 45 million children were administered polio vaccine.
Every campaign ensures that children under five years receive polio drops, so that they could be protected against the crippling effects of the polio virus.
Polio’s last strongholds
Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only two countries worldwide where polio remains endemic. Despite significant efforts and progress in eradicating the disease, the virus continues to pose a challenge in these regions.
Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Program tags polio as a “paralyzing and incurable disease,” emphasizing that completing routine vaccinations for all children under five is essential to providing “strong immunity against this devastating disease.”
