A new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in Pakistan, bringing the total number of cases in 2025 to three, according to a report by Dawn.
An official from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication confirmed that the latest case was recorded in the Larkana region of Sindh. The affected individual is a 54-month-old girl. This marks the second polio case reported in Sindh this year, while the third case was identified in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan has been witnessing a rise in polio cases, with 74 reported in 2024. These included 27 cases from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 23 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Earlier this month, Pakistan launched its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year. Following this, a fractional IPV-OPV polio (injectable polio vaccine) campaign was conducted in Quetta on February 20 and Karachi on February 22, as per Dawn’s report.
Officials stated that approximately one million children were targeted for vaccination in this campaign. Additionally, a polio vaccination drive is scheduled from February 24-28 in 104 union councils bordering Afghanistan or housing Afghan refugee camps, aiming to immunize around 666,000 children.
On February 2, authorities in Quetta arrested five individuals who refused to allow their children to receive the polio vaccine, ARY News reported. Assistant Commissioner Maria Shamoon, along with a polio team, visited multiple areas in Sariab, where 15 children from hesitant families were vaccinated after persuasion. Despite multiple warnings, five parents who continued to resist vaccination were taken into custody.
In 2024, Pakistan recorded 73 polio cases and collected more than 480 polio-positive sewage samples nationwide, highlighting the urgent need for widespread immunization efforts.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), polio is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that spreads primarily through the fecal-oral route or, less commonly, through contaminated food or water. The virus multiplies in the intestine and can cause symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness, and limb pain.
One in 200 infections results in irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs, and among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when the virus affects their breathing muscles.
While polio mainly affects children under five, unvaccinated individuals of any age can contract the disease. There is no cure for polio, but it can be prevented through vaccination. The polio vaccine, administered multiple times, provides lifelong protection. Two types of vaccines are available: the oral polio vaccine and the inactivated polio vaccine.