Pakistan reported its first polio case in 2025 in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. The case was confirmed by the laboratory on Wednesday, with the onset of symptoms being dated January 7, Express News reported.
DI Khan had reported 11 polio cases in 2024. Last year, a total of 73 polio cases were recorded across the country, majority in Balochistan (27 cases), followed by KP (22), Sindh ( 22) and one case each from Balochistan (27 cases). Punjab and Islamabad.
Polio, a debilitating and incurable disease, can be prevented with multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine. Pakistan’s polio program conducts regular vaccination drives to ensure that children under five years of age are vaccinated against the disease.
Additionally, the Expanded Immunization Program provides free vaccinations against 12 childhood diseases at health facilities. To continue the fight against polio, Pakistan’s first national immunization campaign of 2025 is scheduled from February 3 to 9, 2025.
