The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the detection of the second wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of the year 2025.

The lab confirmed one polio case from Sindh’s Badin district. The first case of the year was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan.

In 2024, a total of 74 cases were reported. Of such, 27 were from Balochistan, 22 from KP, 23 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Polio is a paralyzing 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 are essential to provide children with high immunity against this terrible disease.

The Pakistan Polio Programme conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities.

The first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 has been concluded, “with 99% of the targets achieved across the country.”

The campaign was conducted from February 3 to 9, 2025. During this campaign, more than 45 million children were administered the polio vaccine.

In every campaign, the program ensures that children under five years receive polio drops, to protect them from the crippling effects of the polio virus.