Pakistan's battle against polio has hit a fresh setback, with the deadly virus detected in sewage samples across 20 districts, including the capital, just as the country grapples with rising vaccine refusal rates .
According to ARY News, citing the National Reference Laboratory, 28 sewage samples collected between May 8 and June 17 tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1). The presence of the virus was confirmed in major urban centres such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, as well as in districts across Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Sindh reported the highest contamination, with 14 positive samples from 10 districts. Lahore recorded three cases, while Islamabad and four districts in KP also registered positive samples. In Balochistan, the virus was found in Mastung, Khuzdar, and Sibi. Mirpur in PoJK also showed signs of the virus.
This alarming development follows Pakistan’s second national polio vaccination drive earlier this year, which saw over 60,000 refusals, 39,000 of them in Karachi alone. These refusals, officials say, are now posing a major roadblock to the country’s eradication efforts.
“We’re not just fighting a virus; we’re battling misinformation and mistrust,” a senior health official told ARY News.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio is still endemic, the other being Afghanistan. With the confirmation of another new case this week, the total number of polio cases in the country has reached 13 so far in 2025.
Health experts warn that the virus spreads primarily through contaminated water or food and can cause paralysis or death. There is no cure for polio, making vaccination the only defense. The World Health Organisation emphasises that multiple oral doses are needed to protect children under five, the group most vulnerable to the disease.
Despite ongoing national campaigns, large pockets in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain difficult to access for vaccination teams, leaving thousands of children at risk.
As the virus resurfaces in urban and rural sewers alike, officials say the next phase in Pakistan’s anti-polio war must tackle both the virus, and vaccine hesitancy, with equal urgency.
According to ARY News, citing the National Reference Laboratory, 28 sewage samples collected between May 8 and June 17 tested positive for Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1). The presence of the virus was confirmed in major urban centres such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, as well as in districts across Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Sindh reported the highest contamination, with 14 positive samples from 10 districts. Lahore recorded three cases, while Islamabad and four districts in KP also registered positive samples. In Balochistan, the virus was found in Mastung, Khuzdar, and Sibi. Mirpur in PoJK also showed signs of the virus.
This alarming development follows Pakistan’s second national polio vaccination drive earlier this year, which saw over 60,000 refusals, 39,000 of them in Karachi alone. These refusals, officials say, are now posing a major roadblock to the country’s eradication efforts.
“We’re not just fighting a virus; we’re battling misinformation and mistrust,” a senior health official told ARY News.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio is still endemic, the other being Afghanistan. With the confirmation of another new case this week, the total number of polio cases in the country has reached 13 so far in 2025.
Health experts warn that the virus spreads primarily through contaminated water or food and can cause paralysis or death. There is no cure for polio, making vaccination the only defense. The World Health Organisation emphasises that multiple oral doses are needed to protect children under five, the group most vulnerable to the disease.
Despite ongoing national campaigns, large pockets in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain difficult to access for vaccination teams, leaving thousands of children at risk.
As the virus resurfaces in urban and rural sewers alike, officials say the next phase in Pakistan’s anti-polio war must tackle both the virus, and vaccine hesitancy, with equal urgency.
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