In a concerning development, Pakistan’s national polio eradication program has detected wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples from 18 districts, encompassing major urban centers such as Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar.
From April 7 to April 17, 2025, a total of 38 environmental samples were gathered from 31 districts and subsequently analysed at the Regional Reference Laboratory dedicated to Polio Eradication efforts. WPV1 has been validated in various districts such as Quetta, Loralai, Zhob, Abbottabad, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Badin, Tank, North Waziristan, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Kashmore, and Sukkur.
Polio, an incapacitating ailment devoid of a remedy, can solely be eliminated via vaccination. Pakistan has reported seven polio cases so far in 2025, a decrease from 74 cases in 2024. To combat the spread, a nationwide vaccination campaign targeting children under five is scheduled from May 26 to June 1.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two nations where polio continues to be endemic, despite tremendous progress in lowering the number of cases—from over 20,000 per year in the early 1990s to only eight in 2018. Efforts to eradicate the virus have been hindered by misinformation, resistance from certain groups, and attacks on vaccination teams.
