Islamabad: Recent testing has confirmed the presence of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples from nine districts in Pakistan, indicating persistent challenges in the country’s ongoing battle against polio. The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has reported positive WPV1 findings from environmental samples collected in early July.

According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, the affected districts include Dadu, Hyderabad, Karachi South, Karachi Central, Karachi West, Quetta, Loralai, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad. This development underscores the critical need for continued vigilance and vaccination efforts nationwide. Despite six polio vaccination campaigns conducted this year, including two nationwide efforts that immunized over 40 million children under five, the virus remains a significant threat, with detections in 52 districts across the country.

Polio, an incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, poses a grave risk to children under five. The Pakistan Polio Programme is urging all parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine at every available opportunity and to complete all routine vaccinations to safeguard against 12 vaccine-preventable childhood diseases.