Pakistan has confirmed its third case of wild poliovirus Type 1 for the year 2025, with the latest case emerging from Larkana district in Sindh.
This marks the second polio case in Sindh this year bringing the total number of cases in the province to two, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported one, according to the report.
The Polio Eradication Programme reports that in 2024, the country recorded 74 polio cases, with Balochistan being the most affected, reporting 27 cases.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed with 22, Sindh recorded 23, while Punjab and Islamabad each had one case.
The first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025, conducted from February 3 to 9, successfully immunized over 45 million children, achieving 99% of its target.
Currently, Pakistan is carrying out a second round of catch-up efforts, prioritizing the administration of essential EPI antigens to children under five.
As part of the Pakistan Polio Programme, a fractional IPV-OPV vaccination drive is scheduled to take place in Karachi and the Quetta Division on February 20 and 22. The campaign aims to immunize around 1 million children.
Despite these continuous efforts, new polio cases continue to surface in different regions, highlighting the need for determined vaccination drives and strengthened measures to remove the virus.
