ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s battle against polio has faced another setback with the confirmation of a fresh case in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), pushing the nationwide tally for 2025 to 24.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, confirmed on Monday that a 20-month-old girl from Union Council Ping A in Tank district had contracted the virus.
This latest detection brings the country’s case count this year to 24, comprising 16 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
According to health officials, the affected child belongs to the Bettani tribe and resides in Tehsil Jandola, an area considered one of the most security-compromised regions of the country where vaccination campaigns remain severely restricted.
The girl has no travel history, suggesting that the virus continues to circulate locally within communities where immunisation is hindered. Laboratory findings on the genetic cluster of the virus are still awaited.
This latest detection marks the 14th case from southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year alone, highlighting the persistent challenges in eradicating polio from the region.
Officials at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) described the development as “alarming but not unexpected,” given the repeated difficulties in accessing children for vaccination in parts of KP, particularly Tank, North and South Waziristan, and adjoining tribal areas.
“Security-compromised districts remain the biggest hurdle in interrupting polio transmission. These pockets allow the virus to survive and spread, putting the rest of the country at risk,” one official said.
A nationwide anti-polio campaign commenced on Monday (today), aiming to vaccinate more than 28 million children under the age of five across 99 districts, according to the National Polio Eradication Programme.
Over 240,000 polio workers are participating in the drive, which also covers Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the federal capital.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial Health Department said the campaign has begun with its first phase in 19 districts, targeting more than 5.7 million children. The second phase of the campaign will be launched on September 15.
