Fri Feb 14 07:14:43 UTC 2025: ## Pakistan Confirms Second Polio Case Despite Recent Vaccination Campaign
**Islamabad, February 14, 2025** – Pakistan has confirmed a second case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) this year, jeopardizing the country’s efforts to eradicate the crippling disease. The new case, reported Wednesday in Sindh province’s Badin district, follows a case reported earlier in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
The confirmation comes on the heels of a nationwide polio vaccination campaign conducted from February 3rd to 9th, which authorities claim reached 99% of its target, vaccinating over 45 million children. Despite this, Pakistan continues to struggle with polio, having reported 74 confirmed cases in 2024. The majority of cases were concentrated in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh provinces.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio remains endemic. Resistance to the polio vaccine, fueled by Islamist groups who falsely claim it is a sterilization plot, continues to hinder eradication efforts. Health officials are now working to contain the spread of the virus.
First Piper 