Fresh polio case from KP's Khyber district takes nationwide tally for 2026 to 9

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported its ninth polio case of the year, with the latest infection confirmed in Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said on Thursday. The affected child is a seven-month-old boy from Mastak union council in Bara tehsil, the NEOC said in a statement . 'This is the third case from the district this year and the seventh from KP. The poliovirus detected in all three cases from Khyber district has genetic linkages to Afghanistan — which is facing an intense outbreak with 50 cases reported this year — indicating cross-border circulation of the virus,' it said. The centre stressed the need for consistent vaccination, particularly during the ongoing polio campaign, which is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of cross-border eradication efforts. 'The case is a stark reminder that poliovirus knows no borders and no child anywhere will be safe from polio until every child is safe, and poliovirus transmission has stopped completely,' the statement said. It added that while overall wild poliovirus transmission had declined this year, the Peshawar block — comprising Khyber and Peshawar districts and bordering Afghanistan — and neighbouring districts in southern KP continued to report virus detections, including cases. Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. It is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. On Sunday, Pakistan reported its eighth polio case of the ongoing year. The affected child was a 13-month-old girl from KP's Khyber district. Of the nine cases reported this year, seven have been reported from KP and two from Sindh. A door-to-door vaccination campaign is currently underway in 97 districts, including Khyber, to immunise nearly 24 million children. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a coordinated strategy with the provinces to ensure the complete eradication of polio from the country, directing the relevant authorities to prepare an action plan within a week. Chairing a meeting to review progress on polio eradication in Islamabad, the prime minister expressed concern over the recent cases in the country, saying that the government must intensify its efforts to eliminate the disease, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). 'Achieving a polio-free Pakistan is a major challenge. However, our resolve and morale are far stronger than this challenge,' he said, stressing the need for close consultations with the provinces and all stakeholders to devise a joint strategy. The prime minister directed the federal minister and minister of state for health, the health secretary and members of the polio eradication team to visit all four provinces and meet their chief ministers and chief secretaries. He said a coordinated action plan for polio eradication should be prepared within a week after consultations with the provinces. Appreciating the efforts of frontline polio workers and law enforcement agencies in ensuring the successful conduct of vaccination campaigns, the prime minister said providing security and uninterrupted access to vaccination teams was the government's top priority. He also directed the authorities to improve routine immunisation coverage across the country, with a particular focus on polio-affected areas and regions of concern. He commended the improvement in access for vaccination campaigns in security-sensitive and challenging areas. The meeting was further informed that cross-border movement from Afghanistan was a major factor contributing to the spread of the virus in Pakistan. The meeting was told that no new polio case had been reported from Punjab since February 2025, while Balochistan reported no cases in 2025 and 2026. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan remained polio-free. It was also briefed that the quantity of poliovirus detected in environmental samples from Sindh had declined this year. The meeting was further informed that measures were being taken to improve the security of vaccination teams and ensure better access in the southern districts of KP.