DI KHAN/ISLAMABAD: A sub-national anti-polio campaign in southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) began on a grim note as three senior World Health Organization (WHO) officials were abducted by unidentified armed men on Monday. The kidnapping coincided with the confirmation of two new polio cases in the province, raising fresh concerns over the fight against the crippling disease.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the new cases were detected in North Waziristan and Lakki Marwat. In Mir Ali tehsil of North Waziristan, a 19-month-old infant was found infected, while an 11-month-old infant tested positive in Suleman Khel tehsil of Lakki Marwat.
With these additions, K-P’s tally for 2025 has risen to 18, the highest among provinces, while the nationwide count has reached 26 cases—six in Sindh, one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan, and 18 in K-P.
Environmental surveillance also revealed persistent circulation of poliovirus. Of 126 sewage samples tested nationwide, 51 returned positive, including 24 from Sindh, 14 from Punjab, 10 from K-P, and one each from Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Islamabad.
While Balochistan showed improvement—reporting only one positive sample compared to 19 in January—southern K-P remains a high-risk region due to low vaccination acceptance and hard-to-reach communities.
Meanwhile, police confirmed the abduction of WHO District Surveillance Officer Dr. Ihsan, UCCSO Hikmatullah, and UCPO Abdullah from Umar Khail area in Tank district.
Tank District Police Officer Shabir Hussain said efforts were underway to recover the officials, who were monitoring vaccination activities at the time of their kidnapping.
The NIH expressed alarm at the continued detection of poliovirus, particularly in southern K-P, warning that without urgent interventions, vulnerable children remain at serious risk.
