The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) announced on Sunday the confirmed presence of the poliovirus in 25 environmental samples collected from 20 districts across the country.
The virus was detected in samples taken from Quetta, Khuzdar, Lahore, Multan, Nooriabad, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Bahawalpur, and several other districts. However, the NEOC stated that 35 environmental samples from an additional 31 districts tested negative for the virus.
Separately, the Ministry of National Health Services had earlier confirmed the presence of poliovirus in environmental samples obtained from nine districts in Balochistan.
The department reported that poliovirus was found in samples collected from the Quetta, Duki, Kech, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Loralai, Pishin, Nasirabad, and Usta Muhammad districts between March 5th and 19th.
Despite the virus detection, the NEOC emphasized a considerable decrease in the spread of polio and the number of cases, attributing this progress to ongoing polio immunization campaigns.
To further combat the virus, a nationwide polio vaccination drive is scheduled to take place from April 21st to 27th. During this campaign, over 45 million children throughout the country will receive polio vaccine drops.
The NEOC has urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against polio, stressing its importance in safeguarding them from this debilitating illness.
Pakistan reported its sixth poliovirus case of 2025 from the Thatta district in Sindh on March 1st, as confirmed by the Pakistan Polio Programme.
The National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Regional Reference Laboratory had verified this case, marking the fourth polio case reported from Sindh this year. Earlier, one case was reported from Punjab and another from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In 2024, a total of 74 polio cases were reported across Pakistan, with Balochistan being the most affected with 27 cases, followed by Sindh with 23, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 22, and one case each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan remains one of the two polio-endemic countries globally, along with Afghanistan, and the number of cases in the country had significantly declined annually until the surge in cases recorded last year.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure, and the completion of routine immunizations for all children under the age of five provides them with strong immunity against this devastating disease.
