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New Polio Case in North Waziristan Lifts Pakistan’s 2025 Tally to 31

Tighter Afghan border controls coincided with a 59.5% drop in cases in 2025.

Overview

  • The NIH’s Regional Reference Laboratory confirmed WPV1 in a four-month-old girl from Union Council Spinwam-2, the fifth case from North Waziristan in 2025.
  • Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for 17 of the 31 cases, where security constraints limit access for vaccinators and leave immunity gaps.
  • A nationwide campaign is scheduled for February 2–8, 2026 to vaccinate more than 45 million children under five.
  • Officials report that regulated movement on the Afghanistan border improved vaccination at transit points, tracking of mobile populations, and environmental surveillance.
  • The final nationwide drive of 2025 vaccinated about 44.6 million children, allowing teams to concentrate on high-risk districts.