ISLAMABAD, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has reported its eighth polio case of the year after the virus was detected in a child from the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Ministry of National Health Services said in a statement on Friday.

According to the ministry, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the presence of the poliovirus in stool samples taken from a child in Bannu district.

"This is the third polio case reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the eighth nationwide in 2025," the statement added.

The detection comes as Pakistan's second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year is currently underway. The drive, running from April 21 to 27, aims to vaccinate 45.4 million children under the age of five. A follow-up campaign is scheduled to take place from May 26 to June 1.

Health officials have urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, calling the current campaign a vital opportunity to shield children from the crippling virus.

Pakistan reported 74 polio cases in 2024, according to official data. ■