National tally reaches 23 with two more polio cases

ISLAMABAD: The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has confirmed two new cases of polio in Pakistan, both from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The affected children are from Tank and North Waziristan districts, raising the total number of polio cases reported this year to 23.

In response to the rising number of cases, the NEOC has announced the launch of a nationwide polio vaccination campaign starting September 1. A separate, focused drive will begin in southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from September 15, where the virus remains more prevalent.

Also read: Two new polio cases reported, national tally reaches 21

As part of the campaign, more than 28 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated across 99 high-risk districts. The NEOC has said that a high-quality campaign is also being conducted with rigorous monitoring and enhanced community engagement to halt the virus’s transmission.

Health authorities have urged parents to ensure their children receive the polio drops during the upcoming campaign and reaffirmed their commitment to eradicating the disease from the country.

Prior to this, on August 18, two polio cases were confirmed from Badin district of Sindh and Lower Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier this month, additional cases were also reported from Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan. On August 6, a case was confirmed in Union Council Suleman Khel, Lakki Marwat. On August 1, a case was also confirmed in Tank district, affecting a 10-month-old child.

So far this year, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 15 polio cases, including three from Bannu, three from Lakki Marwat, three from Tank, three from North Waziristan, and one each from Torghar, Dera Ismail Khan, and Lower Kohistan. Sindh has reported six cases, while Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have reported one each, according to NEOC data.

Since September 2024, six national vaccination campaigns have been carried out, each covering over 45 million children. Two more national drives and one sub-national campaign are planned for the remainder of 2025.

Also read: New polio case in KP’s Tank district raises nationwide tally to 18

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) had also blamed Pakistan and Afghanistan ‘for the international spread of the polio virus’. The organisation had said that both countries need enhanced bilateral cooperation to combat the disease. Polio vaccination remains mandatory for international travelers from Pakistan.

Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can only be prevented with repeated anti-polio vaccination, administered to children until the age of five years.