Pakistan has confirmed a new polio case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, raising this year’s total to 68 nationwide, officials announced Monday.
The latest infection, identified as wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), occurred in the Dera Ismail Khan district. This marks the region’s 10th case this year, confirmed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s polio program stated the WPV1 resurgence, urging parents to vaccinate all children under five to protect them.
Polio, an incurable disease that can cause paralysis, necessitates robust vaccination efforts. Authorities emphasize the importance of multiple oral polio vaccine doses and completing the vaccination schedule to ensure high immunity in children.
This year’s polio cases include 27 from Balochistan, 20 from KP, 19 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad. A recent December 16–22 vaccination campaign immunized over 42 million children across several regions, including Punjab, Sindh, KP, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Islamabad.
In Balochistan, initial campaign delays due to security issues and a health staff boycott were overcome, and the second phase resumed on Monday.
Remaining alongside Afghanistan as one of the last two polio-endemic countries, Pakistan faces ongoing eradication challenges.
