Pakistan reports ninth polio case of the year

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.

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."

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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.

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.

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.

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.