Karachi Polio Case Takes Pakistan’s 2026 Tally to Seven
KARACHI: A new Karachi polio case reported in the city’s East district has taken Pakistan’s nationwide tally for 2026 to seven, according to the Sindh Emergency Operations Centre.
Five of the seven cases this year have come from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and two from Sindh, the centre said on Monday. The case is the first reported from Karachi since December 2024.
The development comes just weeks before a sub-national vaccination campaign scheduled for November 2 to 8. More than 23.9 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated across 97 districts during the drive, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre.
Where the November campaign will reach
The campaign will cover 9.278 million children in 13 districts of Punjab, 6.883 million in 20 districts of Sindh, 4.808 million in 27 districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 2.217 million in 31 districts of Balochistan.
Frontline workers will visit households during the drive, and each eligible child will receive two drops of the oral polio vaccine. The centre has stressed that polio has no cure but is preventable through vaccination.
Karachi polio case ends ten quiet months
The new case is a setback for Sindh’s largest city. Karachi had gone nearly ten months without a reported case, with the previous one recorded in December 2024.
Health officials have long warned that the virus keeps circulating in the environment even when cases are not reported. The city’s dense neighbourhoods, large mobile populations and pockets of vaccine refusal make it one of the programme’s hardest battlegrounds.
Pakistan’s polio fight in 2026
The national tally has climbed steadily through the year. Pakistan reported its sixth polio case of 2026 in Khyber earlier this year, and the latest Karachi case makes it seven.
The broader campaign has shown signs of progress. The second phase of this year’s polio campaign began on April 13 with improved coverage in several districts.
Still, seven cases with two months of the year left shows how far eradication remains. Pakistan is one of only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic, and every case in a mega-city like Karachi raises the risk of wider transmission.
The November campaign will be the immediate test. Health workers will need to reach every child in 97 districts — including the missed and under-vaccinated children who keep the virus alive.
FAQs
How many polio cases has Pakistan reported in 2026?
Seven. Five cases have been reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and two from Sindh, including the latest case in Karachi East.
When was the last polio case in Karachi before this one?
The previous case in Karachi was reported in December 2024, nearly ten months ago.
When is the next polio vaccination campaign?
A sub-national campaign will run from November 2 to 8, targeting more than 23.9 million children under five across 97 districts.
How many drops does each child receive?
Each eligible child receives two drops of the oral polio vaccine, administered by frontline workers visiting households.
Is polio curable?
No. Polio is incurable, but it is preventable through vaccination.
