Islamabad: A 10-month-old boy from Union Council Mullazai in District Tank, South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has been diagnosed with polio, making it the 18th case reported in Pakistan this year and the 11th from the high-risk southern belt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials confirmed on Friday.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, verified the presence of wild poliovirus in the child, reigniting concerns over persistent immunity gaps and vaccine refusal in the province’s southern districts.
“This case once again highlights the ongoing risk posed by poliovirus in areas where children remain unvaccinated,” a health official told Vitalsnews. “Every missed child is a potential host for the virus and a threat to others.”
Polio remains a highly infectious, incurable disease that can cause irreversible paralysis. The only reliable defense, experts emphasize, is through repeated oral polio vaccine (OPV) doses administered to every child under five during each campaign, in addition to completing the full routine immunization schedule.
Despite measurable improvements in the quality and reach of vaccination drives nationwide, the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — particularly Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, and Bannu — continue to pose serious operational challenges. Resistance to vaccination, restricted access, and security concerns have kept thousands of children unreached in these regions.
Health authorities say that since September 2024, Pakistan has conducted six high-quality immunization campaigns — including four nationwide rounds — each reaching over 45 million children. Looking ahead, two more national and one sub-national campaign are planned between August and December 2025, alongside focused efforts in high-risk districts like Tank.
In response to the latest case, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication and the Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) convened a high-level meeting with the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Peshawar. The meeting reviewed campaign performance, identified remaining bottlenecks, and laid out targeted strategies to interrupt virus transmission in the southern belt.
A special two-day planning session, focused exclusively on South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is also scheduled for August 2-3 at the Chief Secretary’s Office to refine district-level interventions and boost campaign quality in chronically missed areas.
“Polio eradication is a national responsibility and requires unity at all levels — from top leadership to parents and local communities,” said a senior NEOC official. “Our frontline workers are risking their lives, but without parental support and local ownership, we can’t win this fight.”
Officials urged families to ensure their children receive all polio drops during campaigns and to complete their routine immunizations. They also called upon religious leaders, community elders, and local influencers to help dispel misinformation and promote vaccine acceptance.
For polio-related queries and support, citizens are encouraged to contact the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline at 1166 or send a message via WhatsApp to the Polio Helpline at 0346-7776546.
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