Pakistan reports second polio case of 2025

Pakistan has confirmed its second case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) for 2025, as reported by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health.

The confirmation, issued on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, came from the Badin district in Sindh.

This follows the first case of the year, reported earlier from DI Khan district in South Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In 2024, Pakistan saw 74 confirmed cases of polio, with 27 from Balochistan, 22 from K-P, 23 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Polio, a disease that causes paralysis and has no cure, can be prevented through vaccination. The Pakistan Polio Program emphasises the importance of multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and the completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under five years old.

The government continues to run mass vaccination drives throughout the year, ensuring that the vaccine reaches children at their homes.

The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025, conducted from February 3 to 9, successfully reached 99% of its target, vaccinating more than 45 million children. The program also ensures that every child under five years old receives polio drops to protect them from the virus’s debilitating effects.

The Expanded Program on Immunization also provides free vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases at health facilities across the country. Parents are urged to keep their children up to date with vaccinations to prevent the spread of polio and other preventable diseases.

Earlier, three out of five environmental samples collected during the recent anti-polio campaign tested positive for the polio virus, highlighting the continued presence of the disease in the district.

In response, health officials have announced a new anti-polio campaign in April, with a special focus on vaccinating children from migrant families to curb the virus's spread.