Pakistan reports second polio case of 2025

Pakistan has confirmed its second wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case for 2025, as reported by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health. The case, confirmed on February 12, 2025, was detected in Sindh’s Badin district.

This comes after the first case of the year was reported from DI Khan in South Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In 2024, Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases—27 in Balochistan, 23 in Sindh, 22 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.

Polio, a virus that causes paralysis and has no cure, can be prevented with vaccination. The Pakistan Polio Program emphasizes the importance of multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completing routine immunizations for children under five.

The government has conducted nationwide vaccination campaigns to ensure the vaccine reaches children at home. The first 2025 campaign, held from February 3 to 9, vaccinated over 45 million children, reaching 99% of its target. The Expanded Program on Immunization also provides free vaccines for 12 childhood diseases at health facilities across the country.

Recently, three out of five environmental samples collected during an anti-polio drive tested positive, underscoring the virus’s persistence in certain areas. Health officials have scheduled another polio vaccination campaign in April, with a focus on vaccinating children from migrant families to curb the spread of the virus.