A fresh case of poliovirus has been detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and another in Sindh, pushing Pakistan's total number of polio infections this year to 21, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirmed on Monday.
A statement issued by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad's NIH said the latest cases involve a six-year-old girl from Union Council Pattan in K-P's Kohistan district and a 21-month-old girl from Union Council Matli-2 in Sindh's Badin district.
"With these detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 21, including 13 from K-P, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan," the statement noted.
"The only effective protection against the debilitating virus is through the repeated administration of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunisations," the statement said.
From September 1 to 7, a sub-national polio vaccination campaign will be conducted targeting more than 28 million children under the age of five in 99 districts across all provinces and regions.
"The campaign in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be conducted from 15 September. The goal is to ensure every child in these districts receives the vaccine to protect them from the lifelong consequences of polio," it said, adding that the drive forms part of ongoing efforts to quickly strengthen immunity and close existing protection gaps.
"Parents and caregivers are strongly urged to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine during this and every campaign," it stressed.
Expressing concern over the new case in Sindh, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah called for urgent remedial measures.
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