PESHAWAR – Pakistan’s fight against polio suffered another setback as health officials confirmed a fresh case in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), raising the national count for 2025 to 24.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) verified the infection in a 20-month-old girl from Union Council Ping A in District Tank, according to a statement from KP’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).
Southern KP: A Persistent Hotspot
This latest case is the 14th reported from KP’s southern belt, highlighting the region’s ongoing struggle to contain the virus. Tank district alone has now recorded four cases this year, while Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and North Waziristan each reported three. Additional single cases surfaced in Torghar, Dera Ismail Khan, and Lower Kohistan.
National Snapshot
With 16 cases in total from KP, the province continues to bear the brunt of Pakistan’s polio burden. The virus remains entrenched in areas with low vaccination coverage, security challenges, and limited healthcare access—factors that have historically hindered eradication efforts.
Health authorities are expected to intensify vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas as Pakistan races to prevent a wider outbreak in 2025.
