A new case of poliovirus has been reported in the underserved Torghar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, marking the second case from this district this year.
The virus was detected in a 12-month-old child from Union Council Ghari, as confirmed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad on Tuesday.
According to NIH officials, this latest case brings the total number of polio cases reported in the country during 2025 to 30. Among these, 19 cases were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Recent environmental monitoring data indicate that out of 127 wastewater samples collected from 87 districts across the country in September, 44 tested positive for poliovirus, while 81 samples were found to be negative. Analysis of two additional samples is still ongoing.
The National Polio Program has reported an overall decrease in the rate of positive samples, attributed to effective vaccination campaigns. However, the presence of the virus in certain sensitive areas remains a significant concern. As a response, preventive activities are being intensified in these regions.
In alignment with the polio eradication initiative, efforts are being made to enhance the effectiveness of campaigns in vulnerable areas. The National Task Force has approved a new roadmap for 2025–26, which will also further strengthen routine vaccination.
Last week, over 44 million children were vaccinated as part of the ongoing national polio campaign, which will continue in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from October 20 to 23. Authorities have once again emphasised that polio eradication should be treated as a national duty and that efforts must persist at all levels.
