ISLAMABAD, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- A polio virus was detected in a child in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health under the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the poliovirus was detected in a 4-month-old girl from North Waziristan district of the province.
The total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 31, including 20 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, nine from southern Sindh province, and one each from eastern Punjab and northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
While the overall trend shows a decline in positive detections of poliovirus compared to 2024, reflecting the impact of high-quality vaccination campaigns conducted in 2025, virus circulation persists in certain high-risk areas, said the health ministry, adding that these detections underscore the continued need for robust, targeted efforts to interrupt transmission.
Pakistan has planned to conduct nationwide polio campaigns this year that are designed to rapidly boost children's immunity and enhance protection as part of Pakistan's ongoing efforts to eradicate polio, according to the ministry. ■
