Islamabad, Sep 30 (IANS) Two more poliovirus cases have been detected in Pakistan’s Sindh province, raising the nationwide tally for 2025 to 29, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), local media reported on Tuesday.
The new cases reported in Badin and Thatta districts, following a recent case in Hyderabad district, bring the provincial total to nine.
According to the NIH statement on Monday, “with these two cases, both girls, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 29”, including 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, leading Pakistani daily The Express Tribune reported.
The NIH stressed that the upcoming nationwide campaign from October 13 to 19 will target approximately 45.4 million children under five years of age.
It stressed that the vaccination campaigns are intended to “rapidly boost children’s immunity and strengthen protection as part of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to eradicate polio”, urging parents and caregivers to vaccinate their children.
“Polio eradication is a shared responsibility. While dedicated frontline polio workers deliver vaccines, parents and caregivers must ensure their children receive all recommended doses, including routine immunisations,” the NIH stated.
Earlier this month, three polio virus cases were confirmed in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the NIH.
One polio case involved a 19-month-old infant in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali tehsil, the second case was detected in an 11-month-old baby in Suleman Khel tehsil of Lakki Marwat.
Additionally, another polio case was reported from Union Council Ping A in Tank district, affecting a 20-month-old girl.
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children aged below five years, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
There is no cure for polio; however, it can only be prevented by immunisation. The polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life. The continued detection of polio cases shows that children remain at risk in areas where fewer people are ready to vaccinate their children.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where Wild Poliovirus remains endemic. Polio workers have frequently been targeted in attacks, particularly in the northwest and southwest regions.
–IANS
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