Islamabad:
A new case of polyomyelitis has been reported in the Waziristan district of northern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, confirmed the regional reference laboratory for the eradication of polyomyelitis at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad on Tuesday.
A 19 months old from the Miranshah-3 Union Council, Waziristan del Norte, has been confirmed as the eighth case of KP poliomyelitis this year. With this last case, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 is now 14, including eight of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 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 the repeated doses of the polyomyelitis vaccine for each child under five years during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential immunizations.
While national efforts to eradicate polyomyelitis continue to improve the quality of vaccination campaigns, the southern KP districts remain an important concern due to limited access and challenges in making houses home.
These obstacles lead to 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 vaccine. Similar specific vaccination unit for 11 union tips from North Waziristan is planning.
In addition, preparations are underway for a large -scale special vaccination campaign in southern KP, scheduled for August.
