ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): A poliovirus case has been confirmed in Tank district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, marking the seventh from the province this year and bringing the total countrywide tally of 2025 to 13, according to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two nations in the world where polio remains endemic.
Challenges such as vaccine hesitancy, security issues, and misinformation have slowed progress in eradicating the virus in the region despite global efforts in this regard.
In 2025 alone, Pakistan undertook three nationwide Polio campaigns so far — in February, April, and May.
According to the NIH press release issued on Friday, the virus was detected in an 18-month-old child from Union Council Amakhel in Tank district.
“With this latest detection, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 13, including seven from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, four from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan,” the statement said.
Just a week ago, KP recorded its sixth case of the year in Bannu in a 33-month-old baby, while two other cases were recorded in the province last month.
Third anti-polio drive of 2025
In May, Pakistan launched its third drive of the year against the crippling disease with a target to vaccinate 45 million children under the age of five. The Pakistan government has vowed to eradicate Polio by the end of this year.
