Poliovirus confirmed in environmental samples of these districts of Pakistan

Poliovirus has been confirmed in environmental samples collected from 21 districts of the country, in the latest sewage sampling.

The National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) said on Sunday that the polio virus was confirmed in environmental samples from the following districts:

·     Muzaffarabad

·    Dera Bugti

·    Hub

·    Noshki

·     Nasirabad

·     Zhob

·     Lasbela.

·     Islamabad

·    Charsadda

·     Peshawar

·     Swabi

·     Tank

·   DG Khan

·    Jhang

·  Lahore

·    Multan

·     Rahim Yar Khan

·    Karachi East

Samples from all 21 districts were taken between January 8 and 23, 2025. The alarming instance of poliovirus comes while the anti-polio vaccination campaign is ongoing in the country.

Today is the last day of the first annual polio campaign of 2025. The NEOC officials appealed to the parents to make it mandatory for children to be given polio drops.

On February 2, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the first nationwide anti-polio campaign for the year 2025. The campaign is running through February 3-9, for children under the age of five.

The prime minister had said that last year, a total of 77 polio cases were reported in the country which emerged as a huge challenge, and as a major setback. For the current year, he expressed the resolve to eradicate polio at all costs, with dedicated teamwork and support from international partners.

As many as 11 officials were suspended owing to negligence during the ongoing polio campaign in Sindh, the chief secretary’s spokesperson confirmed.