Pakistan has reported its sixth polio case of 2025, with the latest infection confirmed in District Thatta, Sindh, according to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health. This marks the fourth case in Sindh this year, highlighting ongoing challenges in eradicating the disease.
Polio remains a significant health concern in Pakistan, which recorded 74 cases last year. Balochistan reported the highest number (27 cases), followed by Sindh (23), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (22), while Punjab and Islamabad reported one case each. The virus causes paralysis and has no cure, making vaccination the only effective means of prevention.
Health officials continue to emphasize the importance of immunization, particularly for children under five, to curb the spread of the virus. Nationwide polio campaigns have been actively rolled out, with the first major drive of 2025 vaccinating over 45 million children. Additionally, a focused campaign in Karachi and Quetta Division from February 20 to 28 provided nearly 900,000 children with both injectable and oral polio vaccines.
To combat potential cross-border transmission, targeted vaccination drives were conducted in 104 union councils near the Afghan border and areas with large Afghan refugee populations, immunizing over 600,000 children. These efforts are part of the Big Catch-Up initiative under the Expanded Programme on Immunization, aimed at protecting children against 12 preventable diseases.
The Polio Eradication Programme continues to urge parents to ensure their children receive vaccinations, reinforcing that every dose contributes to eliminating the virus. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its $500 million commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), supporting efforts to eliminate polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced.
