The first case of wild poliovirus has been reported in Gilgit-Baltistan, bringing the national total to 11 this year, as the country continues to battle the debilitating disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad has confirmed a new case of wild poliovirus in district Diamer of GB.
This is the first case of wild poliovirus reported from GB and the 11th confirmed case in Pakistan this year, said a statement by the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.
The third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025, which began on 26 May, concluded yesterday, successfully reaching over 45 million children under five years of age across 159 districts, including high-risk areas of the country.
Polio is a highly infectious and debilitating disease with no cure. The only way to protect children is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine for all children under five as well as the timely completion of all vaccines offered as part of the essential immunisation schedule.
The programme called on all parents to ensure their children do not miss out on any opportunity to receive polio drops.
GB reports first case
GB Health Secretary Asifullah Khan confirmed that a 23-month-old child has been diagnosed with poliovirus in Tangir area of district Diamer.
He said that the child has not travelled outside the area, however, the virus strain has been confirmed to originate from Liaquatabad area of Karachi.
Khan observed that there is a record of administering polio drops to the child. However, he added that child was not provided with the vaccines given after immediately after birth.
To a question, the health secretary said that the department has not announced the detection of the polio virus to the public but the case has been confirmed. Before the latest case, there has been no reported case of poliovirus in GB and the region was declared a polio-free zone.
Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.
Last year, the country reported more than 70 polio cases, with the virus detected in around 90 districts.
This year’s first nationwide polio vaccination campaign was held in February, followed by a fractional IPV-OPV Polio (injectable polio vaccine) campaign in Quetta and Karachi on Feb 20 and 22, respectively. Around one million children were targeted for vaccination in this campaign.
