Pakistan's polio tally rises to 10 in 2025 with 2 new cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar, May 21 (PTI) Pakistan's total confirmed polio cases for 2025 have increased to 10 following the detection of two new cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, health authorities said on Wednesday.
    The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad confirmed the cases in Lakki Marwat and Bannu districts.
    Of the 10 cases reported this year, five are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four from Sindh, and one from Punjab.
    Despite ongoing nationwide polio vaccination campaigns, certain areas, particularly in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, continue to face challenges such as restricted access and difficulties in conducting house-to-house vaccination efforts, officials said.
    These operational hurdles have left thousands of children at risk of exposure to poliovirus due to missed vaccination opportunities, according to health authorities.
    In some areas in Lakki Marwat, children missed vaccination during the February and April 2025 immunisation campaigns, resulting in immunity gaps.
    Similarly, in UC Saintanga at Wazir tehsil in Bannu, no comprehensive vaccination campaign has been conducted since October 2023.
    Additionally, a shortage of female vaccinators and gaps in monitoring have further widened immunity gaps in these regions, officials said.
    The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme (PPEP) is actively engaging with stakeholders to address these challenges and enhance the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas.
    An intensified vaccination schedule is being implemented to interrupt virus transmission and protect children from lifelong paralysis.
    The third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 is set to commence on May 26, targeting over 45.4 million children under the age of five across 159 districts, including high-risk areas in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)