The number of polio cases in Pakistan for 2025 has increased to 31 after a new case was confirmed from North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the Polio Eradication Programme, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in the district.
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Programme officials said this is the fifth polio case reported from North Waziristan this year, pushing the national total for 2025 to 31. A laboratory official explained that although the sample was collected in late 2024, it has been counted in 2025 statistics, adding that laboratory confirmation of polio cases can take up to three weeks. Several other samples are still under analysis, meaning the total number of cases could rise further.
The virus was detected in a four-month-old girl from Union Council Spinwam-2 in North Waziristan. Symptoms appeared in December, and subsequent laboratory testing confirmed WPV1 infection.
So far in 2025, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported the highest number of cases with 20, followed by Sindh with nine cases. Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have each reported one case.
Health authorities have reiterated the importance of routine immunisation and continued vigilance to prevent further spread of the virus, particularly in high-risk districts.
