- Thatta reports latest polio case, says Pakistan Polio Programme.
- Two other cases have been reported from Punjab, KP.
- 2024 saw 74 polio cases nationwide; Balochistan had the most.
KARACHI: Pakistan reported its sixth poliovirus case of the year from Sindh’s Thatta district on Saturday, confirmed the Pakistan Polio Programme.
The National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Regional Reference Laboratory has verified the case, marking the fourth polio case from Sindh this year. One was reported from Punjab, and another was reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earlier.
In 2024, a total of 74 polio cases were reported across Pakistan, with Balochistan recording 27 cases, Sindh 23, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22, and one case each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of cases every year had significantly dropped in the country until the recent spike in cases.
Polio cases across Pakistan’s provinces
| Province | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Punjab | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sindh | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 4 |
| KP | 33 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 93 | 22 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 22 | 1 |
| Balochistan | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| GB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AJK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ICT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total cases | 54 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 147 | 84 | 1 | 20 | 6 | 74 | 6 |
Polio is a paralysing disease with no cure, and the completion of the routine vaccination for all children under the age of five provides them high immunity against this terrible disease.
The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 reached over 45 million children earlier this month, a statement from the Pakistan Polio Programme said.
It added that a fIPV-OPV campaign in Quetta Division and Karachi was held between 20 and February 28, vaccinating around 0.9 million children with the injectable and oral polio vaccines for an added immunity boost.
Moreover, a targeted vaccination activity in 104 union councils bordering Afghanistan or having Afghan refugee camps was also held this week to reduce the risk of cross-border and internal poliovirus transmission, vaccinating over 0.6 million children.
The Polio Programme urged all parents to get their children vaccinated against polio at every opportunity to keep them protected from this devastating disease.
