Pakistan reports 18th polio case of the year, as government calls surge ‘devastating’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported another polio case from the southwestern city of Quetta on Wednesday, raising the total number of affected children to 18 this year, as a senior government official called the development “devastating” and stressed the urgent need to ensure nationwide vaccination coverage.
Pakistan is one of only two countries, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite years of anti-polio campaigns, Pakistani authorities continue to face challenges such as parental refusal and security concerns due to militant violence that have hindered its eradication efforts.
Earlier this month, the federal capital, Islamabad, reported its first polio case in 16 years, highlighting the disease’s alarming resurgence and the ongoing risk it poses to children across the country.
“It is devastating to see another child affected by a disease that can be completely prevented through vaccination,” Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq said in an official statement. “This new case from Quetta highlights the risk and the need to rapidly increase population immunity to further curtail the spread of virus.”
“What we are seeing is the outcome of missed vaccination opportunities in parts of Balochistan which have allowed the virus to thrive and survive over time,” she added.
Farooq said the government was doubling down on its efforts to strengthen surveillance and vaccination outreach in all affected districts, particularly in Balochistan province where the latest case has been reported.
The coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, Anwarul Haq, also highlighted the need to reach children in every corner of the country.
“Vaccination campaigns, like the one we implemented last week, are critical in our fight to end polio, and we cannot afford to miss any child,” he said.
“Every house must be reached and every child vaccinated,” he added.
Haq appealed to parents, community leaders and influencers to join hands with the government in the national mission to protect children against the disease.