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

The lab confirmed a polio case from Sindh’s Larkana district. This is the second polio case reported from Sindh this year, bringing the total number of cases to two in Sindh and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Last year, 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 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 are essential to provide children with high immunity against this terrible disease.

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. More than 45 million children were administered the polio vaccine in the vaccination drive.

A second round of the “Big Catch-Up activity” is underway in the country, to vaccinate children up to 5 years with EPI antigens.

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The Pakistan Polio Program launched a Fractional IPV-OPV Polio campaign in Quetta Division and Karachi on February 20 and February 22 respectively.

Around one million children are being targeted for vaccination in the campaign.

Moreover, a vaccination activity targeting 104 UCs bordering Afghanistan or having Afghan refugee camps/populations is scheduled from February 24 to 28. A total of 0.66 million children would be administered with vaccine drops.