Pakistan Reports Ninth Polio Case of 2026 as PM Orders Joint Plan

Pakistan has confirmed a new polio case in Khyber district, taking the country’s total for 2026 to nine. The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) announced the case on Thursday. The patient is a boy aged seven months from Bara tehsil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On the same day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a joint plan with the provinces within a week.

The latest Pakistan polio case is the third from Khyber this year. It comes just days after the eighth case, a 13-month-old girl from the same district, was reported on Sunday.

Where the new Pakistan polio case was found

The boy lives in the Mastak union council of Bara tehsil. Of the nine cases so far this year, seven are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two from Sindh.

According to the NEOC, the virus found in all three Khyber cases is genetically linked to Afghanistan. This, it said, points to the virus moving across the border. Afghanistan has recorded 50 cases so far this year in a severe outbreak.

“Poliovirus knows no borders,” the NEOC said in its statement. It added that no child will be safe until every child is safe and transmission has stopped completely.

Overall, the centre said, transmission of wild poliovirus has fallen this year. However, the Peshawar block, which includes Khyber and Peshawar, and nearby southern districts of KP are still reporting the virus.

PM orders a plan within a week

Chairing a review meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister voiced concern over the recent cases. “Achieving a polio-free Pakistan is a major challenge,” he said. “However, our resolve and morale are far stronger than this challenge.”

He asked the health secretary, the federal health minister, the state minister and the polio team to visit all four provinces. There, they will meet chief ministers and chief secretaries. After those talks, they must draw up a joint action plan within seven days.

Shehbaz also praised frontline polio workers and police. He said security and safe access for vaccination teams remain the government’s top priority. In addition, he asked for better routine immunisation, especially in high-risk areas.

Progress in other provinces

The meeting also heard some positive news. Punjab has not reported a case since February 2025. Balochistan has reported none in 2025 or 2026. Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan remain polio-free.

Meanwhile, the amount of poliovirus found in sewage samples from Sindh has fallen this year, officials said. On the other hand, cross-border movement from Afghanistan was described as a major factor in the spread of the virus.

Vaccination drive under way

A door-to-door campaign is now running in 97 districts, including Khyber. It aims to vaccinate nearly 24 million children. The drive is taking place at the same time as a campaign in Afghanistan, as part of joint cross-border efforts.

The work is not without risk. Earlier this week, an attack on police guarding a polio team in Mohmand district highlighted the dangers vaccinators face in parts of KP. Officials said steps are being taken to improve security for teams in southern KP.

Why polio remains a threat

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries in the world where wild polio is still endemic. Polio is a highly infectious disease with no cure. It mainly affects children under five. About one in 200 infections leads to permanent paralysis, according to the World Health Organization.

The good news is that vaccination works. Health authorities advise parents to make sure their children receive polio drops in every campaign and complete their routine vaccines. Families with questions should speak to their local health worker or doctor.

Although case numbers are lower than in some past years, each new infection shows that the virus is still circulating. Therefore, the success of the coming plan will depend on reaching every child, especially in border districts.