A new case of wild polio virus (WPV1) has been confirmed in Torghar district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, by the National Institute of Health (NIH) Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad, bringing Pakistan’s polio count to 30 by 2025.
The virus was detected in a twelve-month-old boy from Union Council Ghari, Torghar, marking the second case from the district. The provincial breakdown stands at 19 cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine in Sindh and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Environmental monitoring continued in September 2025, with Pakistan’s polio program collecting 127 sewage samples from 87 rural districts.
Of these, 81 were negative and 44 tested positive for poliovirus, while two samples are still pending. Per province, Balochistan recorded 21 negative and two positive samples. Punjab had 22 negative, eight positive and one pending, and KP reported 24 negative and 10 positive.
Sindh reported seven negative, 21 positive and one pending; Islamabad had four negative and one positive; Azad Jammu and Kashmir reported three negative figures, while Gilgit-Baltistan reported one negative and one positive.
Officials say positive detections have declined overall, reflecting the impact of recent high-quality vaccination campaigns, but virus circulation remains in specific high-risk areas, underscoring the need for sustained, targeted efforts to interrupt transmission.
Polio is highly contagious and incurable, and can cause lifelong paralysis. Effective protection depends on repeated doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five years of age during each campaign, in addition to the timely completion of all routine immunizations.
The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) has intensified activities to maintain comprehensive coverage and ensure high-quality campaigns in vulnerable areas. The National Task Force has approved the Roadmap 2025-26 to halt transmission through multiple additional immunization activities and by strengthening routine immunization.
The fourth national polio vaccination campaign of 2025 was completed last week, reaching over 44 million children, while the campaign in Southern KP currently runs from October 20 to 23.
Eradication remains a shared responsibility. More than 400,000 frontline workers are continuing door-to-door vaccination, and parents and caregivers are urged to ensure children receive all recommended doses, including routine immunizations.
Community leaders, teachers, religious scholars and the media can provide further support by countering misinformation and encouraging its use, so that every child is protected and Pakistan stays on track for a polio-free future.
