Pakistan has reported its second case of wild poliovirus in 2025, confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health. The new case was detected in the Badin district of Sindh on February 12, according to a statement from the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.
The first case of the year was reported earlier from Dera Ismail Khan in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2024, a total of 74 poliovirus cases were recorded, with the majority coming from Balochistan (27 cases), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (22), Sindh (23), and one case each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Polio remains a paralyzing disease with no cure. The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme emphasized that multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and adherence to the full vaccination schedule for children under five are crucial in preventing this devastating disease.
The programme conducts several mass vaccination drives each year, bringing vaccines directly to children’s doorsteps, while the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) offers free vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases at health facilities.
“It is vital for parents to ensure their children under five receive their vaccinations to protect them,” the programme stated.
The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025, which took place from February 3 to 9, achieved a 99% success rate, with over 45 million children receiving the polio vaccine during the drive.
Despite significant progress in reducing polio cases in recent years, Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries, alongside Afghanistan. The number of cases had dropped dramatically until recent spikes.
The Polio Eradication Programme stresses that polio is a paralysing disease with no cure, and completing the routine vaccination schedule for children under five is essential to providing high immunity against the disease.
