First polio case of 2025 reported in Pakistan

The first polio case of the year was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) said on Wednesday.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic because of challenges like security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation.

According to the NEOC, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad confirmed the first wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2025.

The onset of the case was on January 7, it said, adding that DIK reported 11 polio cases in 2024.

“Last year, a total of 73 cases were reported. Of these, 27 were from Balochistan, 22 from KP, 22 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad,” it added.

The NEOC said polio was a paralysing disease that had no cure, adding that multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five were essential to provide children with high immunity against the terrible disease.

It added that the year’s first polio vaccination campaign was scheduled from February 3–9 nationwide.

“It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” the NEOC said.