Islamabad:
The regional reference laboratory for the eradication of polyomyelitis at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, confirmed a case of polyomyelitis of the North Wazirist district, southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A 19 months old from the Miranshah-3 Union Council has been identified as the eighth case of Poly of KP this year.
With this last detection, the total number of cases of polio reported in Pakistan in 2025 has increased to 14, including eight of KP, four from Sindh and one from Punjab and Gilgit -Baltistan.
Poly is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause life paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Polyomyelitis (OPV) vaccine for each child under five years during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential immunizations.
Although the efforts at the national level to eradicate polyomyelitis continue to improve the quality of vaccination campaigns, the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are still an important concern due to limited access and challenges in performing vaccination between home to home. These obstacles are lost opportunities, leaving thousands of children not vaccinated and vulnerable to poliovirus.
A special vaccination activity was carried out in six BANNU union tips from June 23 to 28, during which 17,485 children received the polyomyelitis vaccine (OPV). Similar specific vaccination unit is being planned in 11 union tips from North Waziristan.
In addition, preparations are underway for a large -scale special vaccination campaign in South KP, scheduled for August.
Recent polyomyelitis cases in southern KP are a marked reminder that lost children during vaccination campaigns remain a serious risk. While the program is doing everything possible to reach each child, the role of parents is fundamental.
