Two new polio cases confirmed in KP, bringing Pakistan’s 2025 total to 23

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, has confirmed two new poliovirus cases from south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one from district Tank and the other from district North Waziristan.

The recent polio cases include a 16-month-old girl from Union Council Mullazai, district Tank, and a 24-month-old girl from Union Council Miran Shah-3, district North Waziristan, the NIH’s laboratory for polio eradication said. With these detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 23 — including 15 cases from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six 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 through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunisations.

Despite significant progress, the continued detection of polio cases, particularly in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, remains a serious concern. It underscores that children in hard-to-access areas and those with low vaccine acceptance continue to be at risk. However, the National and Provincial Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) are taking all possible measures to ensure the implementation of high-quality vaccination campaigns.

Two new polio cases push Pakistan’s 2025 tally to 21

“To interrupt poliovirus transmission, the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication has developed a robust vaccination campaign schedule for the upcoming low transmission season,” the NIH said in a statement. The first campaign of the season will be conducted from September 1-7, 2025, while in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the campaign will commence on September 15. More than 28 million under 5-year children will receive polio drops in door-to-door vaccination campaign.

“The aim is to ensure that every child in these districts is vaccinated against polio as part of ongoing efforts to rapidly strengthen immunity and address existing protection gaps. Parents and caregivers are strongly urged to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine during this and every campaign,” it added.

The NIH said 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. For more information, contact the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline at 1166 or the Polio Helpline via WhatsApp at 0346-7776546.