Environmental samples collected from 18 districts across the country have been found positive for poliovirus, the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) said on Monday.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

“[A total of] 38 environmental [sewage] samples collected from 31 districts between April 7 and April 17 were tested at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad,” the statement from the NEOC said.

“The lab confirmed detection of wild poliovirus type 1 in sewage samples of Loralai, Quetta, Zhob, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Bannu, DI Khan, Peshawar, Tank, North Waziristan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Badin, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Kashmore, Karachi, and Sukkur,” it added.

⁠Whereas samples collected from Noshki, Sibi, Islamabad, Charsadda, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Swat, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Rajanpur tested negative with no poliovirus detected, according to the NEOC.

“The Polio Programme is implementing a rigorous vaccination schedule to protect children from paralytic polio and interrupt virus transmission. Thanks to high-quality campaigns since September 2024, polio cases nationwide have declined,” the statement continued.

It added that the second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 was successfully conducted across the country from April 21 to 27, “achieving the target of vaccinating 45.4 million children under the age of five”.

“This remarkable milestone was made possible through the collective efforts of frontline polio workers, the Government of Pakistan, law enforcement agencies, health officials, and, most importantly, the commitment of parents who ensured their children received the vaccine.”

The next nationwide campaign is scheduled from May 26 to June 1, aiming to vaccinate 45.4 million children under the age of five across the country.

The statement urged all parents to vaccinate their children against polio every time the vaccine is offered, adding, “repeated vaccination strengthens children’s immunity and protects them from the crippling poliovirus”.

It added that it is the prime responsibility of parents and community members to ensure that no child in their homes or neighbourhoods is left unvaccinated. Every missed child is at risk and can contribute to the continued spread of the poliovirus. Protecting children from polio is a shared duty and starts with timely vaccination.

In a separate development, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emergency Operations Centre has enhanced the coverage of vaccination from 93 per cent in February’s polio campaign to 98 per cent in April in province, according to data.

Late last month, over 800,000 children were vaccinated during the week-long anti-polio drive that ended in Rawalpindi district on April 27, health officials had said.