• As robust poliovirus surveillance continues in Pakistan, 35 environmental (sewage) samples collected from 29 districts between March 4 and March 12, were tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health during the past week.
  • The lab confirmed detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples of Quetta, Tank, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Multan, Ghotki, Jamshoro, Kashmore, Karachi East, Karachi Korangi, Karachi Malir, Karachi South, Larkana, and Mirpur Khas.
  • Whereas the samples from Kotli, Mirpur, Chaman, Islamabad, DI Khan, Hangu, Karak, Khyber, Lakki Marwat, Mansehra, Peshawar, Swabi, Faisalabad, Rajanpur, and Rawalpindi were tested negative with no poliovirus detected.
  • Pakistan’s polio surveillance is among the world’s best, with the largest and most sensitive detection system. The program has expanded its environmental surveillance sites from 65 in 2021 to 127 in 2025. Its efficiency in detecting poliovirus in sewage and cases ensures no transmission goes unnoticed, even in remote areas.
  • The Programme is implementing a rigorous vaccination schedule to protect children from paralytic polio and interrupt virus transmission. Thanks to high-quality campaigns since September 2024, polio cases nationwide have declined.
  • The National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication has launched a special Eid Mubarak Initiative to curb the spread of the poliovirus. As part of this initiative, 145 Eid Mubarak Stalls and 644 vaccination teams have been deployed nationwide. These stalls will remain operational from March 25 to April 3 and are strategically placed in high-footfall areas, including major shopping malls and amusement parks in key cities such as Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad.
  • The next nationwide campaign is scheduled from April 21 to 27, aiming to vaccinate 45.4 million children under the age of five across the country.
  • The Polio Programme urges all parents to get their children vaccinated against polio at every opportunity to keep them protected from this devastating disease.