Daily Times

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed a polio case from District Thatta, Sindh, marking the fourth such case in the province and the sixth case in Pakistan for the year 2025, according to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Promgramme website. This comes as part of a growing concern about the persistence of polio in certain regions of the country. Last year, 74 cases of polio were reported in Pakistan, with the majority coming from Balochistan (27 cases) and Sindh (23 cases). Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reported 22 cases, while Punjab and Islamabad reported one case each. Polio remains a crippling disease that causes paralysis and has no cure. Vaccination, especially for children under five, is the most effective way to prevent the spread of the virus. Health authorities stress the importance of completing the full vaccination schedule to ensure high immunity in children, particularly in regions like Sindh where cases have been more frequent. The Polio Programme has been actively rolling out vaccination campaigns across Pakistan, with the first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 reaching over 45 million children earlier this month.