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ISLAMABAD, Sep 01 (APP): The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, has confirmed a new polio case from District Tank in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The case involves a 20-month-old girl, marking the 14th polio case from Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year.
With this detection, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has risen to 24 including 16 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Polio remains a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis.
Experts stress that repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, along with timely routine immunizations, are the only effective protection.
Despite steady progress, the continued detection of polio cases in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highlights ongoing risks for children in hard-to-reach areas and communities with low vaccine acceptance.
The National and Provincial Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) are intensifying efforts to ensure the implementation of high-quality vaccination campaigns.
Ahead of the September Sub-National Polio vaccination campaign, the National and Provincial Task Force meetings reviewed the current situation, campaign preparedness, and finalized a strategic roadmap for eradication in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This plan includes microplanning innovations, gap analyses, and targeted interventions to address persistent challenges.
The National Emergency Operations Centre has scheduled a series of vaccination campaigns for the upcoming low transmission season, with the first campaign beginning today.
In Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, vaccination teams will go door-to-door from September 15β18, aiming to immunize more than 28 million children under the age of five.
Authorities have urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive polio drops during this and every campaign, stressing that vaccination is the only effective defense against permanent disability.
Health officials reiterated that polio eradication is a collective responsibility. While frontline health workers deliver vaccines, communities, caregivers, and the media play a vital role in protecting children by supporting campaigns, countering misinformation, and ensuring no child is left unvaccinated.