Pakistan reports 18th polio case of 2025

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The 11th polio case of 2025 in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been confirmed, as a 10-month-old child from the Tank district tested positive for the crippling virus.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad confirmed the diagnosis of polio in the child belonging to Union Council Malazai, Tank.

Polio remains a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong disability. The only effective protection against polio is ensuring that all children under the age of five receive repeated oral polio vaccine (OPV) doses during every immunization campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential vaccinations.

Health authorities continue to urge parents to vaccinate their children to prevent further spread of this debilitating disease.

Three more polio cases reported in KP and Sindh, tally rises to 17 in 2025

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme confirmed that a 10-month-old boy from Union Council Mullazai in Tank district is the 11th polio case reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year, raising Pakistan’s total polio cases in 2025 to 18. Last year, the country recorded 74 cases nationwide.

In a statement, the Programme emphasised that the ongoing detection of polio cases highlights the continuing threat to children, especially in areas where vaccine acceptance remains low. It warned that poliovirus can resurface wherever immunity gaps exist.

It also stressed that every unvaccinated child remains at risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

Highlighting the severity of polio as a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, the statement reiterated that the only effective defense is ensuring all children under five receive repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine during every immunisation campaign, alongside timely completion of all essential vaccinations.