PESHAWAR – A new case of wild poliovirus has been confirmed in Shams Khel, Bannu, raising Pakistan’s total polio count for 2025 to 12. Health officials confirmed the infected child belongs to an area known as southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s most polio-vulnerable zone.
This is the sixth case reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) this year. Officials continue to face challenges in areas like Bannu, where poor access, misinformation, and vaccine refusal hinder the fight against polio. Earlier this month, Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district reported its first case ever, showing how the virus is spreading beyond traditional hotspots.
So far in 2025, Sindh has recorded 4 cases, Punjab 1, Gilgit-Baltistan 1, and K-P 6. Experts say these numbers reflect gaps in community immunity, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas. Despite repeated campaigns, children continue to miss essential doses.
To fight this, three nationwide vaccination drives have already been conducted this year. Over 45 million children received oral drops, thanks to the efforts of over 400,000 workers, including 225,000 female health volunteers.
Officials urge parents to cooperate, warning that polio has no cure — only prevention through vaccination. A single missed dose, they stress, can leave a child vulnerable to lifelong paralysis. Pakistan remains one of just two countries, along with Afghanistan, where polio is still an endemic threat.