Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has expressed concern over the growing number of poliovirus cases in Sindh, directing authorities to submit a detailed report on families refusing vaccinations, the health ministry said on Sunday. The country has recorded six polio cases in the first three months of 2025, with four reported from Sindh, according to official data.
During a visit to the provincial Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Karachi, Mustafa Kamal called for urgent action to address vaccine refusal. “The health minister has expressed concern over four polio cases [reported] from Sindh,” the health ministry said in a statement.
“Forty-three thousand patients in Sindh refused vaccination, out of which about 42,000 are from Karachi,” health minister was quoted as saying. The minister received a briefing on ongoing polio campaigns and the challenges authorities face. He reiterated that eradicating polio remains a national priority and urged officials to deploy all available resources to combat the disease.
Polio is a highly infectious virus that causes paralysis and has no cure. Health experts stress that multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, alongside routine immunisation for children under five, are crucial for immunity.
Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases last year. The government has scheduled three major polio vaccination drives in the first half of 2025, with the next rounds planned for April and May.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the last two countries where polio is endemic. Efforts to eliminate the virus have been hindered by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners, who claim immunisation is a foreign conspiracy.
Militant groups have also frequently attacked polio teams, posing a major challenge to eradication efforts.
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