Peshawar, August 26 (PTI) — Health authorities in Pakistan have confirmed two new cases of poliovirus in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bringing this year's total tally of cases in the country to 23.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is still endemic.
Despite widespread international efforts to eradicate polio, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation continue to hinder progress.
According to a statement from the National Institute of Health (NIH), the latest cases were found in the districts of Tank and North Waziristan, involving two young girls aged 16 months and two years.
"This brings the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 to 23, including 15 cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan," the statement elaborated.
Polio is a debilitating and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The most effective way to protect against it is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) administered to every child under five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all routine immunizations.
Pakistan reported only six cases in 2023 and a mere one in 2021; however, there was a dramatic resurgence in 2024 with 74 cases recorded.
The NIH has announced a Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign that will run from September 1 to 7, targeting more than 28 million children under age five across 99 districts nationwide.
The campaign in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is scheduled to occur on September 15. The overarching objective is to ensure that every child in the affected districts receives the vaccine to prevent them from the lifelong effects of polio.
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