The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed a new case of polio in Torghar District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This marks the second case from the province and the seventh across Pakistan in 2025.
The confirmation comes as the country carries out its second National Immunization Drive (NID) of the year from April 21 to 27, targeting 45.4 million children under the age of five. A third nationwide campaign is scheduled from May 26 to June 1, with Torghar included in both rounds.
Health officials are urging parents to ensure their children receive repeated doses of the polio vaccine to prevent infection. The campaign is seen as a vital step in protecting children from the life-altering effects of poliovirus.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally launched the current campaign by administering polio drops to children and called on parents to cooperate with field teams. He emphasized that strong public participation and awareness are crucial to eliminating the virus.
He also assured that strict security arrangements have been made to safeguard health workers during the campaign and thanked international partners, including the World Health Organization and the Gates Foundation, for their ongoing support in Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts.
