3 new polio cases push national tally to 17
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.
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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
3 new polio cases push national tally to 17
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
a day ago
- 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.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
NIH confirms three polio cases in K-P, Sindh
Listen to article Pakistan has reported three new polio cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases in 2025 to 17, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad. The latest cases were confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at NIH on Sunday. Two of the cases were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P)— in the districts of Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan — while the third was from Umerkot district in Sindh. The affected children include a 15-month-old girl from Union Council Takhtikhel in Lakki Marwat, a six-month-old girl from Union Council Mir Ali-3 in North Waziristan, and a five-year-old boy (60 months old) from Union Council Chajro in Umerkot, Sindh. With these additions, the provincial breakdown of polio cases this year stands at 10 in K-P, five in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. Polio is a highly contagious, incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. Health officials warn that the only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five, alongside the timely completion of essential immunisations. 'Every unvaccinated child is at risk and can also pose a risk to others. Poliovirus can resurface wherever immunity gaps exist,' an official said, stressing the importance of vaccination coverage. A special anti-polio campaign is currently under way from July 21 to 27 in border Union Councils, aligned with Afghanistan's sub-national polio campaign. A fractional IPV-OPV campaign also launched in District Chaman on July 21 and is scheduled to expand to six additional districts of Balochistan from July 28. Health authorities have reiterated that polio eradication is a collective 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,' the official added. Communities are urged to support vaccination drives, counter misinformation, and encourage full immunisation to prevent the resurgence of the virus.
