Two New Polio Cases Reported in Sindh, Pakistan’s 2025 Tally Rises to 29

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has confirmed two new poliovirus cases in Sindh’s Badin and Thatta districts, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Monday. With these additions, the country’s nationwide polio tally for 2025 has reached 29, while Sindh’s total has risen to nine cases this year.

Just last week, a separate case was reported in Hyderabad, highlighting the continued presence of the virus in the province.

Current Polio Situation in Pakistan

According to the NIH, the distribution of 29 confirmed cases this year is as follows:

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 18 cases
Sindh: 9 cases
Punjab: 1 case
Gilgit-Baltistan: 1 case

Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio is still endemic. Despite significant global and national eradication efforts, obstacles such as security challenges, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation continue to slow progress.

Vaccination Campaigns Underway

The NIH highlighted that a sub-national vaccination drive was conducted earlier this month across 88 districts, including Badin and Thatta, successfully reaching 21 million children under the age of five.

The next nationwide polio campaign is scheduled for October 13 to 19, targeting nearly 45.4 million children. During this drive, children will receive both the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Vitamin A supplements to strengthen immunity.

Over 400,000 frontline health workers will go door-to-door to ensure every eligible child is vaccinated.

A Call to Parents and Caregivers

The NIH stressed that polio eradication is a shared responsibility, urging parents to ensure their children receive all doses during campaigns as well as routine immunisations.

“While dedicated health workers deliver the vaccine, parents and caregivers must play their part by ensuring no child is left unprotected,” the statement read.

The Bigger Picture

In 2024, Pakistan reported at least 71 polio cases across 90 districts.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can lead to lifelong paralysis.
The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the polio vaccine during every campaign.

Health officials reiterated that continued vaccination is the key to finally eliminating polio from Pakistan.