Pakistan reports two new polio cases in Sindh, tally reaches 29

Peshawar, Sep 29 (PTI) Pakistan has reported two new polio cases in its southwestern Sindh province, taking the total number of cases in the country this year to 29, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said on Monday.

The cases have been reported in Sindh’s Badin and Thatta districts, the NIH confirmed in a press release.

“With these two cases, both girls, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 29," the release said.

A total of 18 cases were detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Earlier, on September 22, a polio virus case was found in Sindh’s Hyderabad district.

A sub-national polio vaccination campaign was conducted across 88 districts of the country, including Badin and Thatta. “The campaign successfully reached nearly 21 million children under the age of five,” it said.

The next nationwide polio vaccination campaign would be held from October 13 to 19, aiming to protect around 45.4 million children under the age of five.

More than 400,000 dedicated frontline polio workers will go door-to-door to ensure that every child is reached, NIH said.

During the campaign, Vitamin A will also be administered alongside the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to boost children’s immunity levels, added NIH.

The institute said that these campaigns were aimed at “rapidly boosting children’s immunity and strengthening protection as part of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to eradicate polio”, encouraging parents and caregivers to ensure their children were vaccinated.

In 2024, the country reported at least 71 polio cases, with the virus detected in around 90 districts.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, and the only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for every child under the age of five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all routine immunisations. PTI AYZ SKS RD SKS