Pakistan has confirmed its first wild polio case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council, Sujawal District, Sindh, the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC) announced on Thursday.
Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, with no cure. The only effective protection is through repeated oral polio vaccinations for children under five, alongside timely completion of all essential immunisations.
The case was detected through Pakistan’s polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad. NEOC said the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is currently reviewing the best response to prevent further spread.
“Despite challenges, eradicating polio in Pakistan and worldwide is within reach,” NEOC stated, adding that PEI continues to “intensify efforts to leave no child behind.”
Since 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8%, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to just 31 in 2025, thanks to widespread vaccination campaigns. This year, a nationwide campaign has already reached over 45 million children, with the next round planned for April.
In 2025, the PEI conducted five nationwide campaigns, alongside targeted rounds of oral and injectable polio vaccines integrated with routine immunisation activities.
While overall cases have declined compared to 2024, NEOC warned that virus circulation continues in high-risk areas, particularly in Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The centre emphasized the ongoing need for robust vaccination efforts and consistent monitoring.
“Polio eradication is a collective responsibility,” NEOC said. Parents and caregivers are urged to ensure all children receive every recommended dose, while communities, religious leaders, and the media play a key role in promoting vaccination and countering misinformation.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio is endemic, alongside Afghanistan. In 2025, 31 cases were reported nationwide. The latest nationwide campaign aimed to vaccinate 45.4 million children under five, reaching 44.6 million due to some refusals.