The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the detection of the 74th wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2024 in the country on Tuesday.
The lab confirmed one polio case from Shikarpur. The onset of this case was on December 15, 2024. This is the second polio case from Shikarpur for 2024.
Pakistan has reported a total of 74 cases in 2024. Of these, 27 are from Balochistan, 23 from Sindh, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. So far, in 2025, only one polio case has been reported, from KP.
Polio is a paralysing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunisation provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.
The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 has been successfully concluded, with 99% of the targets achieved across the country. The campaign was conducted from February 3 to 9.
During this campaign, more than 45 million children were vaccinated against the disabling disease.
