New Polio Case Reported in KP’s Tank District, Bringing Pakistan’s 2025 Tally to 13
ISLAMABAD – A new polio case has been confirmed in the Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising the number of cases from the province to seven this year and bringing Pakistan’s nationwide total to 13, according to a press release from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The latest case involves an 18-month-old child from Union Council Amakhel in KP’s Tank district. This development comes just a week after a 33-month-old child in Bannu became the province’s sixth reported case for the year.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world—alongside Afghanistan—where the poliovirus remains endemic. Efforts to eliminate the disease have faced hurdles, including security challenges, misinformation, and vaccine hesitancy.
So far in 2025, Pakistan has reported 13 polio cases:
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7 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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4 from Sindh
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1 from Punjab
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1 from Gilgit-Baltistan
To combat the spread of the virus, the government has conducted three nationwide polio vaccination campaigns this year—in February, April, and May. The most recent drive in May aimed to immunize over 45 million children under the age of five.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal praised the dedication of all stakeholders, including law enforcement, in supporting the ongoing eradication efforts. “The fight against polio requires a united front. We will continue this mission until polio is completely eliminated from Pakistan,” he stated.
Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can lead to lifelong paralysis. Health authorities stress that repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and the timely completion of essential childhood immunizations are critical to protecting children.
Parents and caregivers are strongly urged to ensure that children under five receive all scheduled doses during every campaign.
