The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed two new poliovirus cases from Sindh, raising Pakistan’s total polio count for 2025 to 29.

According to the NIH, the latest cases were detected in Badin and Thatta, with both patients being young girls.

This takes Sindh’s total for the year to nine, while the national distribution now stands at 18 cases from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis.

Health experts stress that repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for every child under five, along with timely routine immunisations, remain the only effective protection.

In September, the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication conducted a sub-national immunisation campaign across 88 districts, including Badin and Thatta, reaching nearly 21 million children under five.

The next nationwide campaign is scheduled for October 13-19, targeting 45.4 million children.

Alongside OPV, Vitamin A supplements will be given to boost immunity, with over 400,000 trained frontline workers going door-to-door.

Officials reiterated that polio eradication requires collective responsibility. While frontline workers deliver vaccines, parents and caregivers must ensure their children receive every dose.

Community leaders, teachers, religious figures, and the media have also been urged to support vaccination drives and counter misinformation.

Health authorities reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating polio, calling for united efforts to secure a polio-free future for every child.