• In the past week, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in environmental samples collected from 4 districts between December 18 – 24, 2024.
  • Sewage samples collected from Lakki Marwat, Khairpur, Tando Allah Yar, and Tando Muhammad Khan have tested positive for WPV1.
  • These are the first positive sewage samples from Khairpur, Tando Allah Yar, and Tando Muhammad Khan for 2024.
  • Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
  • The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives in a year, bringing the vaccine to children at their doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides vaccinations against 12 childhood disease free of charge at health facilities.
  • The year’s first Polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to be conducted nationwide from February 3 – 9, 2025. It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected