Pakistan’s fight against polio faces new setbacks as two additional wild poliovirus cases were confirmed in Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), bringing the national tally to 10 for 2025. The cases, verified by the National Institute of Health’s Regional Reference Laboratory, highlight ongoing challenges in eradicating the disease.
The 2025 cases are distributed across three provinces: five in K-P, four in Sindh, and one in Punjab. Southern K-P remains a hotspot, with persistent barriers to effective vaccination efforts. Limited access to certain areas and the inability to conduct thorough house-to-house immunization drives have left many children vulnerable. For instance, in UC Bakhmal Ahmad Zai of Lakki Marwat, children missed critical vaccination rounds in February and April, while UC Saintanga in Bannu’s Tehsil Wazir has not had a full-scale campaign since October 2023.
Compounding these issues are operational challenges, including a shortage of female vaccinators, who are essential for gaining household trust in conservative regions, and gaps in monitoring vaccination coverage. These factors have created significant immunity gaps, increasing the risk of further outbreaks.
To address the rising cases, Pakistan is launching its third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 on May 26. The campaign aims to immunize over 45.4 million children under five across 159 districts, with a particular focus on high-risk areas like southern K-P. Health authorities are intensifying efforts to overcome logistical and cultural barriers to ensure comprehensive coverage.
The persistence of polio in Pakistan underscores the need for sustained efforts, improved access, and community engagement to close immunity gaps and protect the nation’s children from this preventable disease.
