Pakistan has reported its 13th polio case of the year, as an 18-month-old girl from Union Council Amakhel in Tank district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tested positive for the virus, according to confirmation by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This latest case marks the seventh reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2025, reaffirming the province as a critical hotspot in the country’s ongoing fight against polio. Earlier, a 33-month-old boy from Bannu was also diagnosed, signaling persistent transmission risks in southern KP.

Beyond KP, Sindh has logged four cases this year, while Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have each reported one. The growing numbers come despite aggressive nationwide immunisation drives and intensified surveillance.

Environmental monitoring conducted by the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme between May 8 and 23 detected the poliovirus in sewage samples from seven districts — including Quetta, Gwadar, South Waziristan (both Upper and Lower), Larkana, Rawalpindi, and Mirpurkhas. Encouragingly, recent samples from Pishin and Lahore returned negative, suggesting some progress in limiting virus circulation.

Polio, a life-threatening viral infection that primarily targets children under five, remains incurable, though preventable through vaccination. In 2025 alone, more than 45 million children have been vaccinated across Pakistan through national campaigns, supported by over 400,000 health workers — more than half of them women.

Despite these efforts, health officials cite persistent obstacles in areas like southern KP, where vaccine hesitancy, remote geography, and security concerns hamper outreach. These challenges have left a portion of the child population unprotected.

Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal commended the resilience of frontline vaccinators and law enforcement teams who facilitate immunisation in high-risk areas. He reaffirmed the government’s resolve to eradicate polio once and for all, saying, “The mission will continue until we eliminate the virus from every corner of the country.”

Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases in 2024, with Balochistan topping the list at 27 cases, followed by Sindh (23), KP (22), and isolated cases in Punjab and Islamabad. Alongside Afghanistan, Pakistan remains one of the last two countries where polio is still classified as endemic — underscoring the urgency of sustained eradication efforts.