ISLAMABAD: According to authorities cited by ARY News, poliovirus has been found in environmental samples taken from Pakistan’s four regions.
Sources claim that this is the first time the virus has been discovered in environmental samples nationwide in 2025.
According to sources, 26 districts had sewage samples taken between January 6 and 15 that tested positive for poliovirus. Fifteen districts from Sindh, five from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and three each from Punjab and Balochistan are among the impacted districts.
It is concerning when wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) is found in sewage samples because it suggests that the virus is present in the environment.
According to earlier reports, Pakistan is set to “launch” its first statewide anti-polio campaign of 2025 in February.
According to specifics, the anti-polio campaign would begin on February 3 and last through February 9. It will target more than 4.54 million children nationwide.
According to those with knowledge of the situation, a three-day campaign would be implemented nationwide, along with two extra catch-up days.
According to NEOC sources, there will be a five-day campaign with two catch-up days that include community-based immunizations and the deployment of specialized mobile teams in the vulnerable areas.
The urgent necessity for extensive vaccination programs was highlighted in 2024 when Pakistan reported 73 polio cases and gathered over 480 sewage samples that tested positive for the disease nationally.
Polio
Polio is an incurable illness that paralyzes people. To provide children high protection against this horrible disease, all children under the age of five must receive multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and complete the recommended vaccination regimen.
While the Expanded Program on Immunization offers immunizations against 12 childhood diseases at no cost at health facilities, the Pakistan Polio Program organizes several mass vaccination drives throughout the year, delivering the vaccine to children at their doorsteps.
From February 3–9, 2025, the nation will host the first polio vaccination campaign of the year.
To keep their children safe, parents must make sure all of their children under the age of five are vaccinated.
