• As robust poliovirus surveillance continues in Pakistan, the remaining ten environmental (sewage) samples for the month of July 2025 were tested last week at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad.
  • The environmental (sewage) samples from Kotli, Islamabad, Dera Ismail Khan, and Khanewal tested negative with no poliovirus found. While the lab confirmed detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples of Diamer, South Waziristan Lower, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
  • The Pakistan Polio Programme is implementing a rigorous vaccination schedule to protect children from paralytic polio and interrupt transmission of the virus. Sustained high-quality campaigns have led to a marked decline in both polio cases and positive environmental samples nationwide.
  • The upcoming sub-national polio vaccination campaign will be conducted from 1 to 7 September 2025, targeting over 28 million children under five years of age across 99 districts in all provinces and regions. The Campaign in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be conducted from 15 September. The campaign is designed to rapidly strengthen immunity and close protection gaps. Parents and caregivers are strongly encouraged to ensure that their children receive the polio drops during this round.
  • Alongside polio vaccination, the government provides free routine immunization for children up to 15 months of age, offering protection against multiple preventable diseases. Repeated doses of the polio vaccine, together with routine immunization, are essential to protect children from lifelong paralysis.
  • Polio eradication is a shared responsibility. While frontline polio workers continue to deliver life-saving vaccines, parents, caregivers, and communities must play their part by ensuring every child is vaccinated, supporting vaccination teams, countering misinformation, and encouraging timely immunization.
  • For more information, contact the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline at 1166 or the Polio Helpline on WhatsApp at 0346-7776546.