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Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan has confirmed a new polio case in the southwestern province of Balochistan, increasing the total number of children affected by the virus to 46 this year, according to a statement from the Health Ministry on Tuesday.
The recent case was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Pakistan’s National Institute of Health. The child, who was diagnosed with wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), resides in the Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan. This marks the second case reported in this district, where environmental samples have previously tested positive for WPV1, signaling an ongoing presence of the virus in the region.
Balochistan has become the hardest-hit province in Pakistan this year, with 23 polio cases reported, followed by Sindh with 12 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with nine, and one case each in Punjab and the capital, Islamabad.
“Balochistan is the most affected province this year,” the Health Ministry noted, underscoring that the high rate of infections reflects significant gaps in vaccination coverage. Missed vaccination opportunities leave children vulnerable to the disease, which remains endemic in Pakistan.
The ministry reiterated that multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and adherence to the complete vaccination schedule are critical to protecting children under the age of five. Health officials are working to bolster vaccination efforts in affected regions, particularly in Balochistan, to curb the spread of the virus and achieve polio eradication in the country.
