QUETTA: In a concerning development for Pakistan’s public health, laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the wild poliovirus in sewage samples collected from across the country in December 2025, prompting authorities to launch a decisive national immunization campaign next month.
According to official sources, a total of 127 sewage samples were sent to the National Health Authority for analysis. The results revealed that **40 samples tested positive** for the virus, while 87 returned negative results. The findings provide a stark geographical map of the virus’s persistence, with the province of **Sindh emerging as the most affected region**, accounting for 23 of the positive samples.
The virus’s footprint extends beyond Sindh. Sources reported detections in **six samples from Punjab, eight from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and two from Balochistan**. A mixed result was found in the federal capital, Islamabad, which reported one positive sample alongside four negative ones. Notably, samples from **Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan showed no presence** of the poliovirus, indicating regional success in containment efforts.
In response to this persistent environmental transmission, the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) has announced a critical nationwide polio vaccination campaign. Scheduled to run from **February 2 to February 8**, the week-long drive is a massive logistical undertaking aimed at building a protective wall of immunity among the nation’s most vulnerable population.
The scale of the operation underscores the urgency of the situation. Health authorities plan to deploy a force of **over 400,000 dedicated polio workers** who will fan out across cities, towns, and villages. Their mission is to reach and vaccinate **more than 45 million children under the age of five**, ensuring every possible child is shielded from the debilitating disease. This campaign represents a pivotal effort to interrupt the chain of virus transmission and bring Pakistan closer to its goal of polio eradication.
