ISLAMABAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan confirmed its 13th case of wild poliovirus in 2025, after the virus was detected in a child from the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Ministry of National Health Services said on Friday.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad confirmed the virus in stool samples collected from an 18-month-old girl in Tank district, the ministry said in a statement.
This marks the seventh case of polio reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year. So far in 2025, Pakistan has recorded a total of 13 polio cases -- including four from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan, according to official data.
In 2025, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program conducted three nationwide campaigns in February, April, and May, reaching over 45 million children with the help of more than 400,000 frontline workers, including 225,000 female vaccinators.
Health authorities urged all parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive every dose of the vaccine, noting that each dose strengthens immunity and offers lifelong protection.
Pakistan reported 74 polio cases in 2024, official figures show. ■
