Pakistan confirms 74th polio case of 2024

Officials reported latest case was detected in Shikarpur, with onset of paralysis recorded on December 15, 2024

By M Waqar Bhatti

February 12, 2025

Polio drops being administered to a child in Pakistan. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Tuesday confirmed the 74th case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) of 2024.

Health authorities reported the latest case was detected in Shikarpur, Sindh, with the onset of paralysis recorded on December 15, 2024. This marks the second confirmed polio case from Shikarpur during the past year. According to official data, Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases in 2024. Majority of these cases were reported from Balochistan (27), followed by Sindh (23), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (22) and one case each from Punjab and Islamabad. In 2025, only one case has been confirmed so far, reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.