ISLAMABAD, Sept 01 (Alliance News): Pakistan’s fight against polio faced another setback as a new case was confirmed in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raising the total tally of cases in 2025 to 24.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad confirmed that a 20-month-old girl from Union Council Ping A in District Tank tested positive for the crippling virus.
The child, belonging to the Bettani tribe of Tehsil Jandola, resides in one of the most security-compromised areas of the country, where vaccination campaigns remain severely restricted.
Officials said the girl had no travel history, indicating that the virus is circulating locally. Laboratory results on the genetic cluster of the virus are still awaited.
This marks the 14th case from southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year alone, with the province now accounting for 16 of the country’s 24 confirmed infections.
Sindh has reported six cases, while Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan have recorded one case each.
Officials at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) described the situation as “alarming but not unexpected,” stressing that continued inaccessibility to children in Tank, North and South Waziristan, and adjoining tribal areas is fuelling transmission.
“Security-compromised districts remain the biggest hurdle in interrupting polio transmission. These pockets allow the virus to survive and spread, putting the rest of the country at risk,” an official said.
Meanwhile, a nationwide anti-polio campaign was launched on Monday, aiming to vaccinate more than 28 million children under five years of age across 99 districts.
Over 240,000 frontline health workers are participating in the drive, which also covers Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial Health Department said the campaign had started its first phase in 19 districts, targeting more than 5.7 million children. The second phase of the drive will begin on September 15.
