Sewage in 34 cities shows no wild poliovirus

ISLAMABAD: Due to high-quality polio vaccination drives conducted across the country in the past few months, the tide is turning in Pakistan’s battle against polio as environmental samples from 34 cities have tested negative for the Wild Poliovirus 1 (WPV1), indicating that the virus is no longer circulating in these areas.

This significant milestone includes negative samples from the federal capital Islamabad, along with several cities across the provinces. In Punjab, the cities free from WPV1 include Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Okara, Gujrat, and Mianwali, while in Sindh, samples from Karachi, Hyderabad and Jamshoro have also tested negative.

Similarly, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Swat and cities like Mansehra and Charsadda have reported negative results. In Balochistan, Quetta and Khuzdar showed no WPV1 presence, while in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), cities like Gilgit and Muzaffarabad remained free of the virus.

While these results mark a positive step, the fight against polio is far from over, as environmental samples from 23 cities still contain the poliovirus. These include major urban centers such as Karachi and Peshawar. In Punjab, cities like Lahore, Multan, and Jhang continue to show virus’s presence.

In KP, Tank and Swabi remain affected. Balochistan’s Nasirabad and Lasbela, along with cities in AJK and GB such as Muzaffarabad and Diamer, are also on the list.

Officials from the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) have termed the declining WPV1 presence a good omen, attributing it to well-planned, high-quality polio vaccination campaigns.

Dr Khurram Shahzad, a leading health expert, praised the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Coordinator, Anwar-ul-Haq for his relentless dedication to polio eradication.

Despite these gains, Pakistan still faces challenges. In 2024, the country recorded 73 polio cases, and over 600 environmental samples tested positive for poliovirus. In 2025, only one child has been affected by polio so far, signaling progress but also highlighting the need for continued vigilance.