Pakistan has reported its ninth polio case of 2026 after a seven-month-old child from Khyber district tested positive, with genetic analysis linking the virus to strains circulating in neighbouring Afghanistan, officials said on Thursday.
According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio Eradication, the child belongs to Union Council Mastak in Bara tehsil. Khyber district has reported three cases this year, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for seven and Sindh for two.
Officials said genetic links with Afghan strains highlighted the risk of cross-border transmission. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where wild poliovirus transmission has not been interrupted.
Poliovirus has also been detected in sewage samples from the Peshawar surveillance block, including Peshawar and Khyber districts, indicating continued circulation despite vaccination efforts.
Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases in 2024 and 31 in 2025, with the tally declining to nine so far this year. However, authorities warned that missed children, inadequate immunity and gaps in vaccination coverage continue to pose challenges.
The government is conducting a polio vaccination campaign from November 2 to 8, targeting around 24 million children under five in 97 districts. Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal has urged parents to ensure that all eligible children receive vaccine doses, regardless of their previous vaccination history.
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