Pakistan reports ninth polio case of 2026 as virus spreads in K-P

Pakistan on Thursday reported its ninth wild poliovirus case of the year after a seven-month-old boy from Khyber District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) tested positive for the virus, raising concerns over continued transmission along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad confirmed the case, which was detected in Mastak Union Council of Bara Tehsil. It is the third polio case reported from Khyber District this year and the seventh from K-P.

According to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), genetic analysis of the virus detected in all three cases from Khyber District has established links with poliovirus strains circulating in Afghanistan, which has reported 50 cases this year.

The findings point to continued cross-border transmission and underscore the need for coordinated vaccination efforts in both countries to prevent the virus from spreading further.

The latest case comes amid ongoing concerns over persistent poliovirus circulation in the Peshawar Block, comprising Khyber and Peshawar districts, which borders Afghanistan. Neighbouring southern K-P districts have also reported continued virus detections, including confirmed cases, highlighting the risk of paralysis among children.

Although overall wild poliovirus transmission in Pakistan has declined this year, health authorities have stressed that the threat remains until transmission is completely interrupted.

The PEI has launched a comprehensive investigation into the latest case and is assessing science-based measures to curb the spread of the virus.

A nationwide door-to-door vaccination campaign is currently underway in 97 districts, targeting nearly 24 million children, including those in Khyber District.

In a separate initiative, a targeted injectable polio vaccination campaign was conducted in 78 union councils of the Peshawar Block from October 26 to 31, protecting around 829,000 children up to the age of 10.

Pakistan has made significant progress in the fight against polio, reducing cases by 99.8 per cent from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025. However, nine cases have already been reported this year.

Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that has no cure and can cause permanent paralysis or death. However, it is preventable through safe and effective vaccines that have been administered in 195 countries, including all Muslim-majority nations.

The PEI has urged parents and caregivers to ensure that all children under the age of five receive the recommended polio vaccine doses during every vaccination campaign, alongside routine immunisation.

PM orders provinces to prepare coordinated polio eradication plan within a week

Meanwhile. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed federal health officials and members of the polio eradication team to visit all four provinces and formulate a coordinated strategy within a week to eliminate the disease, expressing concern over the latest cases reported across the country.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on polio eradication at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Islamabad, Shehbaz called for a more effective strategy and intensified efforts to contain the spread of the poliovirus, stressing that the government could not afford to lose momentum in its campaign against the crippling disease.

Alarmed by the latest infections, the prime minister said, "We must move forward with a better strategy and intensified struggle against polio than before."

According to a statement issued by the PMO, the premier directed the federal health minister, minister of state, secretary for national health and members of the polio eradication team to immediately visit the four provinces and consult their respective chief ministers and chief secretaries.

وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیر صدارت انسداد پولیو پر جائزہ اجلاس آج اسلام آباد میں منعقد ہوا.

گفتگو کرتے ہوئے وزیرِ اعظم نے کہا کہ پولیو سے پاک پاکستان کا حصول ایک بڑا چیلنج ہے، تاہم ہمارا عزم اور حوصلہ اس چیلنج سے کہیں زیادہ مضبوط ہے. صوبوں اور تمام اسٹیک ہولڈرز کے ساتھ… pic.twitter.com/IJUehmtLbo

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) November 5, 2026

He instructed the officials to prepare a coordinated action plan within a week following consultations with all four provincial governments, emphasising that a unified approach involving the federation, provinces and other stakeholders was essential to completely eradicating the disease.

"Achieving a polio-free Pakistan is a major challenge; however, our resolve and morale are far stronger than this challenge," he added.

The prime minister also commended frontline polio workers and law enforcement agencies for their commitment and services in ensuring the success of vaccination campaigns across the country.

He said the government would prioritise ensuring uninterrupted access for frontline workers and strengthening their security, particularly in areas where security concerns and difficult terrain had hampered vaccination activities.

PM Shehbaz further directed the authorities to improve routine immunisation coverage nationwide, with particular attention to polio-affected areas and regions identified as being at heightened risk.

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He also appreciated improved access for anti-polio campaigns in security-sensitive and challenging areas, stressing that these gains needed to be sustained through better coordination and effective implementation.

The meeting was informed that a new polio case had been detected in Khyber district, taking the country's total number of reported cases this year to nine.

Of the nine cases, seven were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), including three from Khyber district, three from Bannu and one from North Waziristan. The remaining two cases were reported from Sindh, one each in Karachi East and Sujawal districts.

According to the briefing, the quantity of poliovirus detected in environmental samples from Sindh had declined this year.

Officials further informed the meeting that all three cases reported from Khyber district were linked to poliovirus originating in Afghanistan, with cross-border movement identified as a major factor contributing to the spread of the virus in Pakistan.

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They added that measures were being taken to strengthen security arrangements for vaccination teams and improve their access to southern districts of K-P.

The briefing also revealed that Punjab had not reported a new polio case since February 2025, while Balochistan had remained free of reported cases throughout 2025 and 2026. Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were also reported to be polio-free.

In January, PM Shehbaz reiterated the government's commitment to eliminating polio during a meeting with a Gates Foundation delegation. He said Pakistan was pursuing a comprehensive strategy with an effective team and would continue working with international partners until the disease was eradicated.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, during a separate meeting with the delegation, said he was personally monitoring the programme, visiting high-risk areas and coordinating with provincial governments. He also called for intensified measures in Karachi and southern K-P.