Disease eradication
In a concerted effort to combat polio, Pakistan has launched a nationwide vaccination campaign targeting over 28 million children under five in 99 districts. The campaign's initial success saw 18 million children vaccinated in just five days, but the country still struggles to contain the virus, with 24
Medical research
Researchers from Sechenov University have conducted a comprehensive study on the long-term dynamics of wild and vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPV) circulation from 2014-2023. The study highlights the importance of maintaining high immunization coverage with trivalent inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and developing m-OPV2 production for rapid outbreak response. The research also emphasizes
Poliomyelitis
Deputy Commissioner Usman Tahir Jappa has highlighted the importance of public awareness in administering polio drops to all children under five during every campaign to eliminate the crippling disease from Pakistan. The upcoming four-day anti-polio campaign in Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu districts aims to target 848,458 children under five
Disease eradication
For decades, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners have been working towards ridding the world of polio, a crippling disease that has existed since prehistoric times. Despite a significant drop of over 99% in polio cases, the virus remains entrenched in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The WHO
Disease eradication
Pakistan has confirmed its 13th case of polio for the year 2025, with the latest case involving an 18-month-old girl from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. The country's polio emergency operation centre acknowledges the challenges in reaching some of the more difficult-to-access areas in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hampering house-to-house
Disease eradication
Pakistan has reported its 13th polio case of 2025, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 13, including seven from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. The new case was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the
Poliomyelitis
Health experts gathered in Kaduna to review progress and re-strategise towards ending polio transmission by 2025, warning that variant strains continue to paralyse children despite significant efforts. Dr. Idris Baba, UNICEF Officer in Charge, emphasized that Nigeria cannot afford to lose momentum now, citing low immunisation coverage and high-burden states
Disease eradication
A 23-month-old child from Diamer district in Gilgit-Baltistan has tested positive for wild poliovirus, marking the first-ever case in the region and the 11th confirmed polio case in Pakistan this year. The confirmation comes despite Pakistan's third nationwide polio vaccination campaign, which vaccinated over 45 million children under
Disease eradication
The nationwide polio eradication campaign has made significant progress, with 90% of the target children across the country vaccinated in the first four days of the campaign. The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has reported encouraging region-wise breakdowns, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leading at 93% coverage, followed by Gilgit-Baltistan at 97%
Police officers
A critical security breach occurred on Tuesday in Balochistan's Noshki district, where a police officer was killed while protecting a polio vaccination team. The slain officer, Waheed Ahmed, was part of the security detail deployed to safeguard polio workers administering oral vaccines to children under the ongoing nationwide
Police officers
Punjab Police has launched a massive security operation to protect polio vaccination teams administering drops to children under five across the province, including Lahore. The initiative comes as part of the third anti-polio vaccination campaign of 2025, which aims to inoculate millions of children against the debilitating disease. With over
Police officers
A police officer was killed in a shooting in Noshki, Balochistan, while guarding polio workers, days after Pakistan launched a nationwide vaccination campaign targeting 45 million children. The attack is the latest in a series of incidents plaguing the country's efforts to eradicate polio, with over 200 polio
