(Web Desk) - Two new poliovirus cases have been reported in Sindh’s Badin and Thatta districts, taking the nationwide tally to 29 for this year and the total number of cases in the province to nine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Monday.
The development comes days after a poliovirus case was confirmed in Sindh’s Hyderabad district.
The statement issued by the NIH said: “With these two cases, both girls, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 29, including 18 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.”
The NIH handout stated that this month, a sub-national polio vaccination campaign was conducted across 88 districts of the country, including Badin and Thatta. “The campaign successfully reached nearly 21 million children under the age of five,” it said.
It added that the next nationwide polio vaccination campaign would be held from October 13 to 19, aiming to protect around 45.4 million children under the age of five.
“During the campaign, Vitamin A will also be administered alongside the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to boost children’s immunity levels. More than 400,000 dedicated frontline workers will go door-to-door to ensure that every eligible child receives this essential protection,” the NIH said.
The institute said that these campaigns were aimed at “rapidly boosting children’s immunity and strengthening protection as part of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to eradicate polio”, encouraging parents and caregivers to ensure their children were vaccinated.
“Polio eradication is a shared responsibility. While dedicated frontline polio workers deliver vaccines, parents and caregivers must ensure their children receive all recommended doses, including routine immunisations,” it said.