Authorities have confirmed two new polio cases in Pakistan, one each from Qambar district in Sindh and Mandi Bahauddin district in Punjab, raising the total number of cases in 2025 to five.
According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), this marks the third case reported in Sindh and the first in Punjab this year.
In 2024, Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases — 27 from Balochistan, 23 from Sindh, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Despite significant progress in recent years, Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan. However, the recent spike in cases has raised concerns among health officials.
Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause lifelong paralysis and has no cure. Routine vaccination for children under five years of age is the most effective way to protect against the virus.
In Karachi, sources told Geo News earlier this month that 197,461 children were left unvaccinated during the city’s recent polio eradication campaign.
Health authorities have urged parents to ensure all children under five receive the polio vaccine during ongoing immunization drives to curb the spread of the virus.
