Federal Minister of Health Mustafa Kamal has expressed concern about the increasing number of poliovirus cases in Sindh, which instructs authorities to present a detailed report on families denying vaccinations, the Ministry of Health said on Sunday. The country has registered 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 tackle vaccine rejection. “The Minister of Health has expressed concern over four polio cases [reported] From Sindh, ”the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

“Thirty -three thousand patients in Sindh refused vaccination, of which approx. 42,000 are from Karachi, ”Minister of Health was quoted as saying. The Minister received a briefing on ongoing polio campaigns and the challenges facing the authorities. He reiterated that the eradication of polio remains a national priority and called on officials to deploy all available resources to combat the disease.

Polio is a very infectious virus that causes paralysis and has no cure. Health experts emphasize that several doses of the oral polio vaccine along with routine immunization for children under five are crucial to immunity.

Pakistan registered 74 polio cases last year. The government has planned three major polio vaccination drives in the first half of 2025, with the next rounds scheduled 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-associated information and resistance from some religious hard liners who claim that immunization is a foreign conspiracy.

Militant groups have also often attacked polio teams, which poses a major challenge for extermination efforts.