Pakistan confirms 19th polio case so far this year

6/8/2025 18:33

Pakistan has confirmed the 19th case of type-1 wild poliovirus so far this year, after the virus was detected in a five-month-old boy from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, according to health authorities.

The case was identified in Lakki Marwat district, according to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.

It was the 12th case in KP, which remains a high-risk province due to low vaccination coverage and operational challenges in door-to-door immunization campaigns.

Officials urged parents and caregivers to ensure all children receive multiple doses of oral polio vaccines, which provide effective protection against the incurable, potentially paralyzing disease.

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program has conducted six major vaccination drives since September 2024.