Islamabad, August 25, 2025 – The Rotary International has claimed that more than 800,000 children in Pakistan have missed polio vaccination.
During a visit to the Polio Emergency Operations Center in Islamabad, a delegation from Rotary informed the media that nearly 100 polio workers and security personnel have lost their lives while carrying out vaccination campaigns. The delegation also warned that the polio virus is spreading through contaminated water, and the lack of access to clean drinking water remains a major obstacle to eradicating the disease.
To address this, water filtration plants are being installed across the country. Expressing cautious optimism, the Rotary delegation stated that if polio can be eliminated globally, Pakistan and Afghanistan can also achieve a polio-free status. They emphasized the importance of strengthening vaccination campaigns to ensure every child receives the polio vaccine.
As of August 2025, Pakistan has reported 21 confirmed polio cases, including 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
This marks a significant increase from the 74 cases reported in 2024. Health authorities attribute this resurgence to factors such as vaccine refusals, increased virus detection in sewage samples across 20 districts, and rising attacks on vaccination teams.
Despite these challenges, the government remains committed to eradicating polio and has intensified vaccination efforts nationwide.