• As robust poliovirus surveillance continues in Pakistan, 102 environmental (sewage) samples collected from 69 districts during the month of June 2025 were tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. While 25 samples are currently under process in the lab.
  • Of the total 102 environmental samples, 72 samples tested negative with no poliovirus found, while 30 samples tested positive. Province wise details are given below:
      • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 23 environmental samples tested negative, 4 tested positive, and 7 are under process
      • Balochistan: 17 environmental samples tested negative, 3 tested positive, and 3 are under process
      • Punjab: 20 environmental samples tested negative, 6 tested positive, and 5 are under process
      • Sindh: 8 environmental samples tested negative, 14 tested positive, and 7 are under process
      • AJK: One environmental sample tested negative, one tested positive, and one sample is under process
      • GB: Two environmental samples are under process
      • Islamabad: 3 environmental samples tested negative and 2 samples tested positive
  • Environmental surveillance results continue to indicate encouraging progress, particularly in high-risk regions. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, positivity rates have declined significantly, from 14 positive ES sites in January to four in June 2025. Of these four positive sites in June, three are from South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Notably, all six sites in Peshawar tested negative for the first time in over two years. Balochistan also reported a marked reduction, with only three positive ES sites in June, down from 15 in January. All 6 samples from the Quetta Block tested negative, while one sample is currently being processed in the lab. In Punjab, the number of districts with positive detections decreased to three in June, down from seven in January. In Sindh, the number of districts with positive detections has also declined compared to previous months.
  • These trends reflect intensified efforts in surveillance and immunization, but continued vigilance remains critical to interrupt transmission nationwide.
  • The Programme is implementing a rigorous vaccination schedule to protect children from paralytic polio and interrupt virus transmission. Thanks to high-quality campaigns, polio cases and positive environmental samples nationwide have declined.
  • A special vaccination campaign is scheduled from 14 - 18 July in District Diamer and three districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, targeting a total of 158,497 children. Additionally, a fractional IPV-OPV campaign will be conducted in seven selected districts of Balochistan from 4 - 11 August, aiming to vaccinate approximately 6 million children.
  • The programme urges all parents to vaccinate their children against polio every time the vaccine is offered. In addition, the government is providing free routine immunization for children up to fifteen months of age to strengthen their immunity. Routine immunization and repeated polio vaccination boost children's immunity and protect them from the crippling poliovirus.
  • Polio eradication is a shared responsibility. Frontline health workers are going door-to-door delivering life-saving vaccines, but lasting protection begins at home. Parents and caregivers must take action — every polio dose builds stronger immunity. With continued community support and parental commitment, we can stop the virus for good.
  • If you have any questions about polio or routine immunization, call the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline at 1166 or send a message on WhatsApp at 0346-7776546.