The National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in environmental samples collected from seven districts in Pakistan between May 8 and May 23, 2025. This discovery highlights the continued silent transmission of the virus despite ongoing immunization efforts.

The affected districts include Gwadar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Upper and Lower South Waziristan. Although samples from Lahore and Pishin tested negative, the detection in other regions has raised significant concern.

So far in 2025, Pakistan has recorded 12 confirmed polio cases: six from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. The most recent case was reported in Bannu, located in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Vaccine refusal continues to challenge eradication efforts. In Karachi alone, 37,711 parents declined to vaccinate their children in May, an increase from 37,360 refusals in April. Misinformation and myths about the vaccine are driving this resistance.

To combat the spread, three national immunization campaigns were launched in February, April, and May 2025, targeting over 45 million children under the age of five. These efforts involved more than 400,000 health workers, including 225,000 female vaccinators.

Health authorities emphasize that repeated vaccination is the only reliable defense against polio, urging all parents to ensure their children are vaccinated during every campaign.