A new polio case has been identified in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing Pakistan’s total number of polio cases in 2026 to five, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) confirmed on Tuesday.
This development follows the conclusion of a week-long nationwide anti-polio campaign conducted from September 21 to 27 across 112 selected districts. During this campaign, more than 28.2 million children received polio drops, administered by over 273,000 health workers. Notably, a parallel vaccination drive was carried out simultaneously in neighboring Afghanistan.
Details about the most recent child affected in Bannu have not yet been disclosed. The district has posed significant challenges to Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts, accounting for three of the first four cases reported this year. Health officials have previously highlighted that security-related restrictions have hindered vaccination teams from consistently reaching all children in the area.
Pakistan’s initial polio case of 2026 was reported in March from Sujawal district in Sindh, involving a four-year-old child. In May, two additional cases emerged—one in Bannu and another in North Waziristan—raising the national tally to three. Another case was confirmed in September in Bannu, involving an eight-month-old child from Noor Union Council of Miryan tehsil, marking the third case from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year.
The Polio Eradication Initiative has emphasized that three of the first four cases in 2026 originated from Bannu Division, where ongoing security challenges have left some children unvaccinated, allowing the wild poliovirus to persist.
Despite intensified efforts to enhance vaccination coverage ahead of the low-transmission winter season, the recent case indicates continued virus circulation. During the September campaign, health workers vaccinated over 10.1 million children across 30 districts in Sindh, approximately 8 million in 10 districts of Punjab, 7 million in 37 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2.3 million in 32 districts of Balochistan. Additionally, about 443,000 children were immunized in Islamabad and 140,000 in two districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Although the campaign was initially planned to cover 115 districts, vaccination activities ultimately took place in 112 districts, targeting over 31 million children under five years old.
Pakistan has made notable progress in reducing polio cases in recent years, with 31 cases reported in 2025, down significantly from 74 in 2024. This downward trend has continued into 2026; however, health officials warn that ongoing transmission in parts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially Bannu, remains a critical threat to eradication efforts.
Security issues in Bannu have disrupted vaccination campaigns and, in some cases, exposed polio workers to risks such as attacks or kidnappings. Officials regard the district as a potential source from which the virus could spread to other regions.
The government-led Polio Eradication Initiative urges parents to ensure their children receive polio drops during every campaign and complete their routine immunization schedules. Polio is a preventable disease through vaccination but remains incurable. Pakistan and Afghanistan are currently the only two countries where wild poliovirus transmission continues to be endemic.
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