ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, has confirmed two new polio cases from South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing Pakistan’s total number of cases in 2025 to 26.
According to the laboratory, the latest cases include a 19-month-old girl from Union Council Mir Ali 2, District North Waziristan, and an 11-month-old girl from Union Council Suleman Khel, District Lakki Marwat. Of the 26 cases reported so far this year, 18 are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
In addition, Pakistan’s environmental surveillance system tested 126 sewage samples from 87 districts during August 2025. Of these, 75 were negative while 51 tested positive for poliovirus. Province-wise results showed:
- Balochistan: 21 negative, 1 positive, 1 under process
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 24 negative, 10 positive
- Punjab: 17 negative, 14 positive
- Sindh: 5 negative, 24 positive
- Azad Jammu & Kashmir: 3 negative
- Gilgit-Baltistan: 1 negative, 1 positive
- Islamabad: 4 negative, 1 positive
Balochistan recorded a significant decline, with only one positive environmental site in July and August, down from 19 in January. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, positive environmental sites fell from 13 in April to 10 in August, while 12 of Sindh’s 24 positive sites were found in Karachi. Islamabad reduced its positive sites from three in July to one in August.
Health officials stressed that polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease, and the oral polio vaccine (OPV) remains the only effective protection. A Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign began today in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and will continue until September 18, targeting children under five. Earlier this month, a similar campaign conducted from September 1–7 across 81 districts successfully vaccinated more than 19.8 million children.
Authorities urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive repeated OPV doses and routine immunizations, while community leaders, teachers, and media were called upon to support vaccination drives and counter misinformation.
For information and assistance, the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline (1166) and the Polio Helpline via WhatsApp (0346-7776546) remain available to the public.
