ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Pakistan’s National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of polio virus in sewage lines in all four provinces of Pakistan, ARY News reported.
According to sources, the Regional Reference Laboratory has confirmed the presence of the polio virus in samples collected from 25 districts across the country. The samples were collected from sewage lines between February 3 and 12, and the results revealed the presence of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 in several districts.
In Sindh, 13 districts, including Karachi Central, East, Keamari, Korangi, and Malir, Hyderabad, Badin, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas, Sajawal, Dadu, and Sukkur, were found to have polio-positive sewage.
Similarly, in Balochistan, five districts, including Quetta, Chaman, Loralai, Noshki, and Zhob, had polio-positive sewage.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three districts, including Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, and Lakki Marwat, were found to have polio-positive sewage.
In Punjab, four districts, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala, had polio-positive sewage. This development comes as Pakistan has already reported six polio cases this year, with four cases reported from Sindh, one from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one from Punjab.
There were 74 polio cases recorded in 2024, the previous year. Of them, one each came from Punjab and Islamabad, while 27 came from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 23 from Sindh.
Read More: Pakistan reports sixth polio case of 2025
According to authorities, the first nationwide polio campaign of 2025 was successfully concluded, with 99% of the targets achieved across the country.
The campaign was conducted from February 3 to 9, 2025. During this campaign, more than 45 million children were administered the polio vaccine.
Polio
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities.
It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected.
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