Pakistan has reported another polio case, this time in the Hyderabad district of Sindh province. This brings the country’s total for 2025 to 27 cases so far, with seven now confirmed in Sindh alone, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
As one of just two countries—along with Afghanistan—where polio remains endemic, Pakistan faces tough hurdles in wiping out the virus. Security concerns, parents’ reluctance to vaccinate, and false information continue to hold back efforts, even as the world pushes hard for eradication.
The NIH’s latest update shows the cases spread across regions: 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. This new detection in Hyderabad highlights the ongoing challenge in Sindh.
To fight back, health teams ran a major polio vaccination drive last month across 88 districts, including Hyderabad. They reached about 21 million children under age five with the oral polio vaccine, a key step in polio eradication.
Looking ahead, another nationwide campaign kicks off October 13 and runs through the 19th. It will target 45.5 million kids, with more than 400,000 frontline workers knocking on doors to make sure no child misses out.
This case follows two recent ones in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both in infants: a 19-month-old in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area and an 11-month-old in Lakki Marwat’s Suleman Khel tehsil.
Last year, in 2024, Pakistan saw at least 71 polio cases across nearly 90 districts, showing the virus’s stubborn spread.
Polio spreads easily and has no cure—it can lead to permanent paralysis, especially in young children. The best defense? Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine for every kid under five, plus staying on top of routine shots. Health experts stress that full vaccination is crucial to end this threat once and for all.
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