Polio Resurgence in Pakistan: 70 Cases Confirmed in 2024

Karachi – The National Institute of Health’s Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication has confirmed a new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in a male child from Karachi East. This brings the total number of polio cases in Pakistan to 70 for the year 2024, with this particular case first observed on December 21, 2024.

With this confirmation, Karachi East now has reported two polio cases in 2024. The resurgence of the wild poliovirus remains a significant public health concern for Pakistan, which has been battling an increasing number of WPV1 cases. The breakdown of cases across the country shows 27 from Balochistan, 21 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Polio, a debilitating and paralytic disease, has no cure, making vaccination efforts even more crucial. To protect children, multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, alongside completing routine vaccinations for children under five years old, are essential to building immunity against the disease.

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The Pakistan Polio Program is actively addressing the resurgence with several nationwide vaccination campaigns each year, ensuring vaccines are delivered directly to children’s doorsteps. Additionally, the Expanded Program on Immunization offers free vaccinations for 12 different childhood diseases at health centers across the country.

The first national Polio vaccination campaign for 2025 is scheduled to run from February 3 to 9. Health authorities emphasize the importance of parents ensuring their children are vaccinated against polio to help eradicate the disease once and for all.