Pakistan has reported another polio case in 2025, raising the total number of infections in the country to six, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC). The latest case was detected in Thatta, Sindh, bringing the province’s tally for the year to four.
This development follows the detection of two polio cases just a day earlier—one in Sindh’s Qambar district and another in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district—bringing the total number of cases in the country to five since January.
The surge in cases comes as health workers wrap up a targeted vaccination campaign in high-risk areas. Earlier this month, authorities launched a weeklong nationwide anti-polio drive, aiming to immunize 44.2 million children under the age of five.
Escorted by security personnel, polio teams continue door-to-door vaccinations despite persistent threats. Since the 1990s, more than 200 polio workers and their security escorts have lost their lives in attacks.
In 2024, Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases, with the highest numbers reported in Balochistan (27), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (22), and Sindh (23), while Punjab and Islamabad each reported one case.
Authorities have deemed the first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 a success, achieving 99% of the vaccination target. Conducted from February 3 to 9, the campaign administered the polio vaccine to over 45 million children.
Polio, a debilitating disease with no cure, can only be prevented through multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine immunization schedule. The Pakistan Polio Program carries out multiple vaccination drives annually, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides free vaccines against 12 childhood diseases at health facilities.
Health experts urge parents to ensure their children under five receive timely polio vaccinations to protect them from the disease.