Pakistan's Polio Cases Rise to 21 in 2025: Latest Update

Islamabad, August 18 (PTI) Pakistan has recorded two additional poliovirus cases, bringing this year's total to 21, according to a media report on Monday.

According to the World Health Organisation, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is still endemic. The newly reported cases occurred in the Kohistan Lower district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Badin district of Sindh province, as reported by Geo News.

The victim from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a six-year-old girl, while a 21-month-old girl contracted the disease in Sindh, the report noted, citing the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

With these cases, the total number of polio occurrences in the country for 2025 has reached 21, including 13 cases from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and six from Sindh. Each of Punjab province and the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has also reported one case so far.

Despite ongoing efforts by authorities to eradicate polio, the disease continues to register an increase in the country.

Earlier this month, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa confirmed its 19th polio case for the year.

A Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign is scheduled from September 1 to 7, aiming at immunizing more than 28 million children under the age of five across 99 districts in all provinces and regions, as indicated by the report.

Pakistan recorded six polio cases in 2023 and only one in 2021. However, the country experienced a significant resurgence of the poliovirus in 2024, with 74 cases identified.

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