Pakistan has reported its third polio case of 2025, as verified by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication.

The latest case was detected in Sindh’s Larkana district, according to lab confirmation. The first case of the year was previously reported in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In 2024, a total of 74 polio cases were recorded. Among them, Punjab and Islamabad reported one case each, while Balochistan had 27, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22, and Sindh 23.

Authorities confirmed that the first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 was successfully completed, covering 99% of the target population. The campaign, conducted from February 3 to 9, 2025, vaccinated over 45 million children against the virus.

During every campaign, efforts are made to ensure that children under five receive polio drops to protect them from the disease’s crippling effects.

Meanwhile, in Quetta, five individuals were arrested for refusing to allow their children to be vaccinated. Assistant Commissioner Maria Shamoon, along with a polio team, visited various areas of Sariab, where 15 children from reluctant families were vaccinated after persuasion.

However, despite multiple warnings, five parents who continued to resist vaccination were taken into custody by the authorities.