KARACHI: Health authorities have confirmed a new polio case in the southern Sindh province that brings the total number of children affected by the crippling virus this year to 27, the country’s polio program said on Tuesday.
The regional laboratory for polio eradication at Islamabad’s National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed the new case in Sindh’s Hyderabad district, according to the country’s polio program. Of the 27 cases reported nationwide, it said, 18 are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunizations.
“Polio eradication is a collective responsibility,” the polio program said. “While dedicated frontline polio workers deliver vaccines, parents and caregivers must ensure their children receive all recommended doses, including routine immunizations.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic. Pakistan recorded 74 cases in 2024, a sharp rise from six in 2023 and just one in 2021.
