Pakistan on Friday reported its 13th polio case of the year after health authorities confirmed the virus in an 18-month-old girl from Union Council Amakhel in Tank district, South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The latest case was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Islamabad, which has also verified a previous case of wild poliovirus in a 33-month-old boy from Bannu district, also in KP. With the inclusion of the latest case, the total number of infections reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year has risen to seven, the highest for any province.

According to the National Polio Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), access to some areas in southern KP remains limited, posing a major hurdle to house-to-house vaccination efforts. “We are working closely with provincial and district administrations to reach every child,” the EOC said in a statement, urging parents to take the threat of poliovirus seriously and ensure their children receive polio drops during every campaign. 

So far in 2025, the country has recorded four cases from Sindh, and one case each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan, in addition to the seven from KP. Environmental surveillance results released by the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme last week further underscore the persistent circulation of the virus. Poliovirus was detected in sewage samples collected from seven districts: Quetta, Gwadar, South Waziristan (lower and upper), Larkana, Rawalpindi, and Mirpurkhas. 

However, samples from Pishin and Lahore were declared virus-free — a rare positive note in the broader struggle. Between May 8 and 23, nine sewage samples were collected from nine different districts as part of routine environmental monitoring. These findings serve as an early warning system and help guide targeted immunisation campaigns. Polio, a highly contagious disease caused by the poliovirus, mainly affects children under the age of five. It can lead to permanent paralysis or even death in severe cases.

While there is no cure for polio, timely vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure. Despite progress, Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan. The number of reported cases had declined significantly in recent years, but the uptick in infections — especially in difficult-to-access areas — has raised concerns about sustaining gains made through national campaigns. In 2025 alone, three nationwide immunisation drives — held in February, April and May — have targeted over 45 million children, with the support of more than 400,000 frontline health workers, including 225,000 female vaccinators. 

Last month, the country launched its third National Immunisation Days (NIDs) campaign, reaffirming its commitment to a polio-free Pakistan. In 2024, Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases, with Balochistan reporting the highest number at 27, followed by Sindh with 23, KP with 22, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. The current year’s trajectory, though lower in numbers so far, remains a matter of serious concern due to the continued detection of virus in both human and environmental samples.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)