Health authorities have detected poliovirus in 42 of 127 sewage samples collected from 87 districts across Pakistan, the country’s polio programme reported on Tuesday, highlighting persistent transmission despite a decline in detections.
Testing at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad’s National Institute of Health confirmed 75 samples as negative, while 10 others remain under analysis. Of the confirmed positive samples, one was from Balochistan, seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12 from Punjab, 19 from Sindh, and three from Islamabad. Additional samples from KP (3), Punjab (4), Islamabad (1), Azad Kashmir (1), and Gilgit Baltistan (1) are still being processed.
“While the overall trend shows a decline in positive detections, reflecting the impact of high-quality campaigns, the virus continues to circulate in certain areas,” the polio programme stated.
Pakistan has recorded 19 polio cases so far in 2025, with KP accounting for 12 — a province flagged as high-risk due to insecurity, vaccine hesitancy, and operational hurdles.
To curb the spread, the next sub-national polio vaccination campaign will run from September 1–7, targeting 28 million children across 91 districts in all provinces and regions.
