Islamabad [Pakistan], August 18 (ANI): One new poliovirus case was confirmed each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, bringing Pakistan's total count this year to 21, National Institute of Health (NIH) said on Monday, Dawn reported.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global eradication efforts, Dawn reported that factors such as security challenges, vaccine hesitancy and misinformation continue to obstruct progress.

According to a statement from the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at Islamabad's NIH, the latest cases involve a six-year-old girl from Union Council Pattan in KP's Kohistan district and a 21-month-old girl from UC Matli-2 in Sindh's Badin.

'With these detections, the total number of polio cases in Pakistan in 2025 has reached 21, including 13 from KP, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan,' the statement noted.

Dawn reported that polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection against the debilitating virus is the repeated administration of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) for every child under five during each campaign, along with timely completion of all routine immunisations, the NIH said.

It added that from September 1 to 7, a sub-national polio vaccination campaign will be conducted, targeting more than 28 million children under five across 99 districts nationwide.

'The campaign in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be conducted from 15 September. The goal is to ensure every child in these districts receives the vaccine to protect them from the lifelong consequences of polio,' it said.

The statement noted that the campaign is part of efforts to strengthen immunity among children and close existing protection gaps. 'Parents and caregivers are strongly urged to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine during this and every campaign.'

Last week, poliovirus was detected in 36 per cent of sewage samples collected from 87 districts in July, Dawn reported. In 2024, the country reported at least 71 cases, with the virus found in around 90 districts, including Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB). (ANI)