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ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP):The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the detection of the third wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2025.
The lab confirmed a polio case from District Larkana, Sindh.
This is the second polio case reported from Sindh this year, bringing the total number of cases to two in Sindh and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Last year in 2024, a total of 74 cases were reported. Of these, 27 were from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 23 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities.
It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.
The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 has been successfully concluded, with 99% of the targets achieved across the country.
The campaign was conducted from February 3 to 9, 2025. During this campaign, more than 45 million children were administered the polio vaccine.
A second round of the Big Catch-Up activity is currently underway in the country, to vaccinate children up to 5 years with EPI antigens.
The Pakistan Polio Program launched a Fractional IPV-OPV Polio campaign in Quetta Division and Karachi on February 20 and February 22 respectively.
Around one million children are being targeted for vaccination in this campaign.
Moreover, a vaccination activity targeting 104 UCs bordering Afghanistan or having Afghan refugee camps/populations is scheduled from 24 – 28 February.
A total of 0.66 million children will be targeted for vaccination during this activity.