ISLAMABAD, July 27 (Xinhua) — Pakistan reported three new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), bringing the total number of cases in the country this year to 17, authorities said on Sunday.
According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, the new cases were detected in Lakki Marwat and North Waziristan districts in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KP), and Umerkot district in southern Sindh province.
Of the 17 cases confirmed so far in 2025, 10 have been reported from KP, five from Sindh, and one each from eastern Punjab province and northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
The National Emergencies Operation Center of Pakistan stated that a special vaccination drive is currently underway from July 21 to July 27 in union councils along the border with Afghanistan.
Additionally, a fractional campaign launched in Chaman district of southwestern Balochistan province on July 21 will expand to six other districts of the province from July 28, the authority said.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where wild poliovirus is still endemic. Authorities have reiterated the importance of community participation in vaccination campaigns to stop transmission and protect future generations. ■