ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has reported its 13th polio case of 2025, with the latest infection confirmed in an 18-month-old child from Tank district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). This marks the seventh case from the province this year, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The child is from Union Council Amakhel, and the virus was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication. With this new case, KP continues to be the most affected province, followed by Sindh with four cases, and Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan with one case each.
This latest detection follows closely behind another case in Bannu, reported just last week. The government remains concerned as multiple cases continue to emerge despite three nationwide anti-polio campaigns already conducted in February, April, and May.
Polio remains endemic only in Pakistan and Afghanistan, making both countries key to global eradication efforts. However, security challenges, vaccine misinformation, and public hesitancy often hamper progress. In May, Pakistan’s health ministry launched a campaign to vaccinate 45 million children under five.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal praised frontline workers and law enforcement officials for their role in this critical mission. “This fight demands continued sacrifice and unity,” he said, vowing to eliminate the disease by year-end. Polio is incurable, but it can be prevented through repeated oral polio vaccines during every campaign.