New Polio Case in KP, Special Campaign Launched in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD/QUETTA: Pakistan reported a new polio case in Tank district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing the total number of cases in 2025 to 24. The latest case involves a 20-month-old girl from Ping Union Council, NIH officials confirmed.
This marks the 14th polio case in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year. So far, 16 cases have been reported in KP, six in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. The affected area in Tank is highly security-compromised and inaccessible for routine vaccination, with no travel history noted.
In response, a week-long anti-polio campaign has been launched in 26 of Balochistan’s 36 districts under strict security, following the recent targeted killing of a polio supervisor in Chaman near the Afghan border. Over 2.18 million children under five are expected to receive polio drops during the campaign.
Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Balochistan Coordinator Inam-ul-Haq emphasized the campaign’s importance in protecting children from lifelong disability. A total of 11,659 teams, including mobile, fixed-site, and transit teams at bus terminals and railway stations, have been mobilized across urban and remote areas.
The drive covers districts including Quetta, Pishin, Chaman, Khuzdar, Loralai, Mastung, Nasirabad, Sibi, Zhob, Lasbela, and others. Authorities have urged parents to fully cooperate and ensure all children receive scheduled vaccinations, also highlighting the importance of routine immunizations against 12 other preventable diseases.
Mr. Haq called on civil society members, teachers, and religious leaders to raise awareness and support the campaign to safeguard children’s health.
