Pakistan Reports Sixth Polio Case of 2026 in Khyber
Pakistan Reports Sixth Polio Case of 2026 in Khyber
Pakistan has confirmed its sixth polio case of 2026, with the latest infection detected in a seven-year-old boy from Khyber in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the National Emergency Operations Centre said on Monday.
The new case continues a worrying pattern: southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains the country’s hardest-hit region for poliovirus transmission, even as the national tally stays far below the peaks of recent years.
Sixth polio case follows Bannu infections
The Khyber case comes less than a week after the fifth case of the year was confirmed on September 29 in Bannu district, involving a 17-month-old girl from Khandar Khankhel Union Council in Tehsil Domel. Before that, the fourth case was reported on September 11, also in Bannu, in a child from Noorar Union Council in Miryan tehsil, where vaccination teams have struggled to reach children consistently since 2025 because of insecurity.
Four of the six cases reported this year have now been detected in the Bannu division, underscoring how the virus keeps finding unvaccinated children in pockets of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Long-term progress, persistent risk
The National Emergency Operations Centre says Pakistan has cut its annual polio caseload by 99.8 per cent through vaccination, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025 and six so far in 2026. Of the 31 cases last year, 20 were recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan. In 2024, the country reported 74 cases.
Overall poliovirus transmission has declined since 2025, the NEOC says, but the virus continues to circulate persistently in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan.
Campaigns reach millions, but gaps remain
Pakistan has run four large-scale polio campaigns in 2026, protecting more than 45 million children multiple times, alongside smaller targeted drives in high-risk areas. The latest subnational campaign, held from September 21 to 27 across 112 districts, administered oral polio vaccine drops to more than 28.2 million children.
Officials say the challenge is no longer just reaching children but convincing hesitant parents. Refusal cases and children missed during house-to-house visits have kept the virus alive in southern districts, where security constraints and misinformation hamper vaccinators.
What happens next
Health authorities are expected to mount a rapid response immunisation round around the new case in Khyber, the standard protocol after each confirmation, alongside intensified surveillance for further infections. The NEOC has urged parents to ensure children under five receive polio drops in every campaign and complete their routine immunisation on schedule, warning that no child is safe until every child is protected.
FAQ
How many polio cases has Pakistan reported in 2026?
Six so far. The latest is a seven-year-old boy from Khyber, confirmed by the NEOC on October 5. Four of the six cases have been detected in the Bannu division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Is polio increasing or decreasing in Pakistan?
Decreasing sharply over the long term: from 74 cases in 2024 to 31 in 2025 and six so far in 2026, a 99.8 per cent drop since the early 1990s. But the virus still circulates in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Why does polio persist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
A mix of insecurity that blocks vaccinators’ access, parental refusals and children missed during campaigns has left pockets of unvaccinated children, allowing the virus to keep circulating in the province’s southern districts.
