As robust poliovirus surveillance continues in Pakistan, 60 environmental (sewage) samples collected from 51 districts between March 5 and March 19, 2025 were tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health Islamabad.
Out of the total samples, 35 samples from 31 districts tested negative with no poliovirus found, while 25 tested positive. The trend shows a decline in positive samples and a reduction in virus circulation in many areas.
Positive Samples (25): The lab confirmed detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples of Dukki, Kech, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Loralai, Nasirabad, Pishin, Quetta, Usta Muhammad, Bannu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Peshawar, South Waziristan Lower, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, DG Khan, Lahore, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan.
Negative Samples (35): Samples collected from Muzaffarabad, Diamir, Gilgit, Barkhan, Kila Saifullah, Mastung, Quetta, Sibi, Hub, Nushki, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bajour, Battagram, DI Khan, Lower Dir, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Swat, North Waziristan, Attock, Bahawalpur, Gujrat, Jhang, Khanewal, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, and Sargodha tested negative for poliovirus.
The Programme is implementing a rigorous vaccination schedule to protect children from paralytic polio and interrupt virus transmission. Thanks to high-quality campaigns since September 2024, polio cases nationwide have declined from 74 cases in 2024 to just 6 cases in 2025.
