Pakistan's anti-polio drive suffers a blow after a northern enclave
reports first case in 7 years
[June 02, 2025]
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan efforts to eliminate polio
suffered another blow on Monday after a northern enclave reported its
first case in seven years. Overall, it was the country's 11th case since
January, despite the launch of several immunization drives.
The virus was detected in a child from the district of Diamer in the
Gilgit-Baltistan region, according to the country's polio eradication
program.
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where
the spread of the wild polio virus has not been stopped, according to
the World Health Organization. There are ongoing outbreaks of polio
linked to the oral vaccine in 10 other countries, mostly in Africa.
The new case was reported after Pakistan on Sunday wrapped up its third
nationwide polio vaccination drive of the year, aiming to immunize 45
million children.
Mohammad Iqbal, a director at the polio program in the northwest, said
local health officials were still trying to determine how the poliovirus
that was found in the southern port city of Karachi had infected the
child in Diamer.
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A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a
neighbourhood, in Lahore, Pakistan, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/K.M.
Chaudary)
 During the summer season, thousands
of tourists from Karachi and elsewhere visit tourist resorts in
Gilgit-Baltistan.
Pakistan’s polio eradication program has been running anti-polio
campaigns for years, though health workers and the police assigned
to protect them are often targeted by militants who falsely claim
the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize
children.
Since the 1990s, attacks on polio vaccination teams have killed more
than 200 workers and security personnel.
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