KARACHI:
The National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC) on Thursday confirmed Pakistan’s first wild polio case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Sujawal district in Sindh.
The case was reported through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad. The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is assessing the best response to prevent further transmission.
Since 1994, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8%, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 cases in 2025, thanks to widespread vaccination efforts. In 2026, over 45 million children were reached through a nationwide polio campaign, with the next national drive planned for April.
In 2025, the PEI conducted five nationwide campaigns along with targeted vaccination rounds and routine immunisation integration.
While overall detections have declined compared to 2024, virus circulation persists in high-risk districts of Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting the need for continued, targeted vaccination campaigns.
Read: Why 40000 Karachi families refused the polio vaccine
Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause lifelong paralysis and death but is preventable through safe and effective vaccines used in 195 countries, including all Muslim-majority nations.
Wild poliovirus is the naturally occurring form of the polio virus that spreads from person to person, mainly through contaminated food, water, or contact with infected individuals. It can attack the nervous system and, in severe cases, cause permanent paralysis or death. A wild polio case refers to an infection caused by this naturally circulating virus, as opposed to rare cases linked to vaccine-derived strains.
The PEI urged parents and caregivers to ensure children receive all recommended doses and called on communities, religious leaders, and the media to promote vaccination and counter misinformation.
“Eradicating polio is within reach, but it requires collective effort. Every child must be vaccinated to prevent disability and death,” the PEI said, emphasising the continued commitment to a polio-free Pakistan and world.
