Pakistan reports three new polio cases, total number of cases in 2025 rises to 17

Islamabad, July 27 Three new polio cases have been reported in Pakistan, raising the total number of cases in the country in 2025 to 17. Two new polio cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Sindh.

According to Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad, cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan and Lakki Marwat and Sindh's Umerkot, Pakistan-based The News International reported.

The new cases include a 15-month-old girl from Union Council (UC) Takhtikhel in Lakki Marwat, a six-month-old girl from UC Mir Ali-3 in North Waziristan, and a five-year-old boy from UC Chajro in Umerkot.

According to the statement, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has increased to 17, including 10 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, five from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children aged below five years, according to World Health Organization (WHO). There is no cure for polio, however, it can only prevented by immunization. The polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.

Meanwhile, a special vaccination campaign is being conducted in the bordering Union Councils from July 21-27, synchronised with Afghanistan’s sub-national polio campaign.

The statement said, "In addition, a fractional IPV-OPV campaign began in District Chaman on July 21 and will roll out in the other six districts of Balochistan from July 28."

Earlier in May, the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad said that Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was detected in sewage samples from 18 districts across Pakistan, Geo News reported.

The positive samples of WPV1 were collected between April 7-17 as part of ongoing environmental surveillance, according to statement from the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).

Tests for 38 environmental samples collected from sewage lines in 31 districts conducted at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the (NIH). The lab said that WPV1 in sewage samples were collected from Dera Ismail Khan, Sukkur, Karachi,

Peshawar, Tank, North Waziristan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Loralai, Quetta, Zhob, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bannu, Badin, Jamshoro, Hyderabad and Kashmore.

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