The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Pakistan’s National Institute of Health has confirmed the presence of the polio virus in sewage samples collected from all four provinces.
According to sources, the virus was detected in samples from 25 districts across the country. These samples, gathered between February 3 and 12, tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in multiple locations.
In Sindh, polio traces were found in 13 districts, including Karachi Central, East, Keamari, Korangi, Malir, Hyderabad, Badin, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Sajawal, Dadu, and Sukkur.
In Balochistan, five districts—Quetta, Chaman, Loralai, Noshki, and Zhob—reported polio-positive sewage.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three districts—Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, and Lakki Marwat—were affected.
In Punjab, four districts—Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala—were found to have polio-positive sewage.
This comes as Pakistan has already reported six polio cases in 2025, with four from Sindh, one from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one from Punjab. In 2024, the country recorded 74 polio cases, including 27 in Balochistan, 23 in Sindh, 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.
The first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 was successfully conducted from February 3 to 9, achieving 99% of its targets. More than 45 million children received the polio vaccine during this drive.
Polio and Its Prevention
Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and has no cure. The only protection is multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and the completion of routine immunization schedules for children under five years old.
Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Program conducts several nationwide vaccination drives each year to ensure children receive the vaccine at their doorsteps. Additionally, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) offers free vaccinations against 12 preventable childhood diseases at health facilities nationwide.
Health experts stress the importance of vaccinating all children under five to protect them from this debilitating disease.
