18th poliovirus positive case reported: PPEP
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), while confirming a new case of poliovirus from District Tank in South KPK, taking the number of cases in the district to two while total cases in KPK to 11. Moreover, five poliovirus positive cases are reported from Sindh and one apiece from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).
This year three cases have been reported from District Bannu, two each Lakki Marwat, Tank and North Waziristan districts, one each from Torgha, DI Khan. In Sindh one each polio cases has been reported from Badin, Larkana, Kambar, Thatta and Umer Kot districts, while one case was reported in district Mandi Bahauddin of Punjab and one case was reported from District Diamer of G-B.
In 2024, Pakistan has reported a total 74 polio cases, of which, 27 in Balochistan, 23 in KPK, 22 in Sindh one each in Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
According to health professionals, to eradicate poliovirus from the country the federal and provincial authorities besides, polio vaccination drive should start cleaning sewerage as wild poliovirus is spreading through the sewerage.
The continued detection of polio cases underscores the persistent threat to children, particularly in areas with low vaccine acceptance. It is crucial for communities to understand that poliovirus can re-emerge wherever immunity gaps persist. Every unvaccinated child remains vulnerable and can also contribute to the spread of the virus.
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, along with the timely completion of all essential immunisations.
Despite significant improvements in the quality of polio vaccination campaigns nationwide, the southern districts of KPK remain a key area of concern due to restricted access and operational challenges in conducting house-to-house vaccination. These barriers continue to hinder immunisation efforts in southern KPK, leaving thousands of children unvaccinated.
Over the last year, the Pakistan Polio Programme has made measurable strides. Since September 2024, six high-quality campaigns, including four nationwide campaigns, have each reached over 45 million children. The National EOC is planning to conduct two nationwide and one sub-national campaign between August and December 2025, besides, targeted campaigns in selected high-risk districts. These efforts will help stop virus transmission and protect children from poliovirus.
As part of intensified efforts to eradicate polio in South KPK, the Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio Eradication, and the Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, held a meeting with the chief secretary of KPK, in Peshawar to review ongoing initiatives in the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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3 days ago
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18th poliovirus positive case reported: PPEP
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme (PPEP), Friday, announced detection of 18th poliovirus positive case in the country as the health authorities confirmed a 10-month-old boy from Union Council Mullazaiin District Tank, South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) poliovirus positive. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), while confirming a new case of poliovirus from District Tank in South KPK, taking the number of cases in the district to two while total cases in KPK to 11. Moreover, five poliovirus positive cases are reported from Sindh and one apiece from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). This year three cases have been reported from District Bannu, two each Lakki Marwat, Tank and North Waziristan districts, one each from Torgha, DI Khan. In Sindh one each polio cases has been reported from Badin, Larkana, Kambar, Thatta and Umer Kot districts, while one case was reported in district Mandi Bahauddin of Punjab and one case was reported from District Diamer of G-B. In 2024, Pakistan has reported a total 74 polio cases, of which, 27 in Balochistan, 23 in KPK, 22 in Sindh one each in Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). According to health professionals, to eradicate poliovirus from the country the federal and provincial authorities besides, polio vaccination drive should start cleaning sewerage as wild poliovirus is spreading through the sewerage. The continued detection of polio cases underscores the persistent threat to children, particularly in areas with low vaccine acceptance. It is crucial for communities to understand that poliovirus can re-emerge wherever immunity gaps persist. Every unvaccinated child remains vulnerable and can also contribute to the spread of the virus. 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, along with the timely completion of all essential immunisations. Despite significant improvements in the quality of polio vaccination campaigns nationwide, the southern districts of KPK remain a key area of concern due to restricted access and operational challenges in conducting house-to-house vaccination. These barriers continue to hinder immunisation efforts in southern KPK, leaving thousands of children unvaccinated. Over the last year, the Pakistan Polio Programme has made measurable strides. Since September 2024, six high-quality campaigns, including four nationwide campaigns, have each reached over 45 million children. The National EOC is planning to conduct two nationwide and one sub-national campaign between August and December 2025, besides, targeted campaigns in selected high-risk districts. These efforts will help stop virus transmission and protect children from poliovirus. As part of intensified efforts to eradicate polio in South KPK, the Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio Eradication, and the Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, held a meeting with the chief secretary of KPK, in Peshawar to review ongoing initiatives in the province. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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Listen to article The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed three new polio cases, raising the country's tally for 2025 to 17. According to the laboratory, the new cases were detected in Takhtikhel (Lakki Marwat district) and Mir Ali (North Waziristan district) of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), as well as Chajro in Umerkot district of Sindh. The affected children include a 15 month old girl from Lakki Marwat, a six month old girl from North Waziristan, and a five year old boy from Umerkot. So far this year, 10 cases have been reported in K P, five in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan. Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only reliable protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each vaccination campaign. While significant progress has been made in eradicating the virus, the emergence of new cases highlights the ongoing threat to children, particularly in regions with low vaccine acceptance. A special vaccination drive is currently under way in the bordering union councils, synchronised with Afghanistan's sub-national polio campaign. Additionally, a fractional IPV-OPV campaign began in the Chaman district on July 21, which will be rolled out in six more districts of Balochistan from July 28. Official sources in Peshawar said that of the 10 cases in K-P, three have been reported from Bannu, two each from Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan, and one each from Tank, Torghar, and Dera Ismail Khan districts. According to a report released in May 2025, there had been 17,136 refusal cases in Peshawar – the highest number of people declining to allow administration of polio vaccines to their children. Other areas include Mardan, 6,812 cases; Bannu, 10,781, Laaki Marwat, 976; DI Khan, 2,128; and Kohat, 1,009. Shafiullah Khan, the coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in K-P, said that awareness campaigns through media were playing a vital role, and the number of parents refusing vaccination had been decreasing significantly. "Once there were thousands of refusals, now only a few areas remain, and efforts are under way to address those too," Khan said. He acknowledged the challenges in the fight against polio, noting a lack of communication access and the ongoing security concerns in tribal districts as major concerns. The government and the partner organisations were actively working to eliminate the virus, but "due to the fragile security situation in certain tribal regions, our campaigns often face obstacles," Khan said. He stressed the need for collective responsibility and joint efforts to eliminate polio.
Business Recorder
28-07-2025
- Business Recorder
NIH confirms three new polio cases
ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, has confirmed three new polio cases. According to official sources, two cases were reported from the districts of Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one from District Umerkot in Sindh. A 15-month-old girl from Union Council Takhtikhel in District Lakki Marwat, a six-month-old girl from Union Council Mir Ali-3 in North Waziristan, and a 60-month-old boy from Union Council Chajro in District Umerkot, Sindh, are the latest polio cases confirmed by the laboratory. With these new detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has risen to 17 — including 10 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, five 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, along with the timely completion of all essential immunizations. Despite substantial progress in polio eradication efforts, the continued detection of polio cases underscores the persistent risk to children, especially in areas where vaccine acceptance remains low. It is crucial for communities to understand that poliovirus can resurface wherever immunity gaps exist. Every unvaccinated child is at risk and can also pose a risk to others. A special vaccination campaign is currently underway from 21 to 27 July in the bordering Union Councils, synchronized with Afghanistan's sub-national polio campaign. In addition, a fractional IPV-OPV campaign began in District Chaman on 21 July and will roll out in the other six districts of Balochistan from 28 July. Polio eradication is a shared responsibility. While frontline polio workers continue to deliver life-saving vaccines, it is equally important for all parents and caregivers to ensure that their children receive every dose of the polio vaccine. Communities can protect themselves by actively supporting vaccination efforts, addressing misinformation, and encouraging others to vaccinate their children.
