Pakistan reports first polio case in 2025

Islamabad: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the detection of the first wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case of 2025.

 

The lab confirmed one polio case from D.I. Khan. The onset of the case was on January 7, 2025, making it the first WPV1 case of 2025.

 

D I Khan is one of the districts of South KP having 11 polio cases in 2024.

 

Last year, a total of 73 cases were reported. Of these, 27 were from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

 

Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five are essential to provide children with high immunity against this terrible disease.

 

The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases free of charge at health facilities.

 

The year’s first Polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to be conducted from February 3- 9, 2025, nationwide. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.