Pakistan’s Polio Cases Hit 30 After New KP Case Confirmed

A new case of wild poliovirus (WPV1) has been confirmed in Torghar district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising Pakistan’s 2025 tally to 30. Laboratory testing at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad verified infection in a 12-month-old boy from Union Council Ghari, the second case reported from the district this year.

By province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for 19 cases, Sindh nine, and Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan one each. Environmental surveillance continued in September with 127 sewage samples collected across 87 districts; 81 were negative, 44 positive and two are pending.

Breakdowns show Balochistan recorded 21 negative and two positive samples; Punjab had 22 negative, eight positive and one pending; KP returned 24 negative and 10 positive; Sindh logged seven negative, 21 positive and one pending. Islamabad produced four negative and one positive sample, Azad Jammu and Kashmir had three negative, and Gilgit-Baltistan reported one negative and one positive.

Officials say detections have fallen compared to earlier peaks due to high-quality vaccination campaigns, but transmission persists in high-risk pockets. Health authorities stress that protection requires repeated doses of oral polio vaccine for every child under five alongside timely routine immunisations.

The polio programme has intensified operations for comprehensive coverage, with the National Task Force approving a 2025–26 roadmap built on multiple supplementary campaigns and stronger routine services. The fourth national vaccination drive of 2025 concluded last week after reaching more than 44 million children, while a focused campaign in South KP runs from October 20–23. Over 400,000 frontline workers continue door-to-door efforts, and families are urged to ensure children receive all recommended doses.