Pakistan reported its sixth poliovirus case of the year from Sindh’s Thatta district on Saturday, as confirmed by the Pakistan Polio Programme.
The National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Regional Reference Laboratory verified the case, making it the fourth polio case from Sindh this year. Previously, one case was reported in Punjab and another in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In 2024, Pakistan recorded a total of 74 polio cases, with Balochistan reporting 27, Sindh 23, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22, and one case each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan. The country had seen a significant decline in cases until the recent surge. Polio is a paralysing disease with no cure, and completing routine vaccinations for all children under five provides them with strong immunity against it.
“The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 reached over 45 million children earlier this month,” according to a statement from the Pakistan Polio Programme.
It further noted that “a fIPV-OPV campaign in Quetta Division and Karachi was held between 20 and February 28, vaccinating around 0.9 million children with the injectable and oral polio vaccines for an added immunity boost.”
Additionally, a targeted vaccination drive was conducted this week in 104 union councils near the Afghan border or housing Afghan refugee camps. This effort aimed to curb both cross-border and internal poliovirus transmission, vaccinating over 0.6 million children.
The Polio Programme has urged all parents to ensure their children receive polio vaccinations at every available opportunity to protect them from this debilitating disease.
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