A new case of poliovirus was confirmed on Friday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which increased the national count of Pakistan before 2025 to 18.
The regional reference laboratory of the National Institute of Health for Polio Exavery identified the case in a 10-month-old boy of the Union Council Mullazai in the Tank district, according to a press release.
This marks the eleventh polio case in KP this year, in addition to five from Sindh and one from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The persistence of polio cases indicates an important threat to children, especially in regions with a low absorption of vaccine.
“It is crucial for communities to understand that poliovirus can appear again where the gaps of immunity persist. Each unadried child remains vulnerable and can also contribute to the spread of the virus,” the press release stated.
“Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OOG) for each child younger than five during each campaign, together with the timely completion of all essential immunisations.”
Despite considerable progress in national vaccination initiatives, the southern districts of KP remain critical points of attention.
Limited access and operational challenges When performing home-to-house vaccinations in these areas continue to hinder immunization efforts, so that thousands of children remain unimaccinated, the release added.
Since September 2024, the Pakistan Polio program has carried out six high-quality campaigns, including four national initiatives, each of which has reached more than 45 million children.
The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) is planning to carry out two national and one subnational campaign between August and December of this year, in addition to targeted campaigns in risky districts, to stop virus transfer and to protect children against the disease.
In response to the continuous challenges, in particular in South KP, the focal person of the Prime Minister on Polio external and the NEOC coordinator recently met the main secretary of the province in Peshawar.
Their discussions were aimed at assessing campaign performance, tackling the current challenges and strategies to interrupt the transmission of poliovirus in Southern Districts or KP with a high risk, including a tank.
In addition, a special planning meeting aimed at South KP is planned to be held at the Chief Secretary’s office on 2-3 August.
