Fourth polio case of 2026 detected in K-P's Bannu

Pakistan reported its fourth case of polio this year after a new infection was detected in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC). The country's first polio case of 2026 was identified in early March in a four-year-old child from Sujawal district in Sindh.

Two additional cases were reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in early May, one each in Bannu and North Waziristan, bringing the national total to three. The infected child was from Nurar Union Council in Miryan tehsil, Bannu, where consistent vaccination teams had been unable to reach children due to security concerns since 2025.

The polio authority stated that three of the four cases this year are from Bannu Division, where security-related access constraints have prevented children from receiving critical vaccinations, allowing the wild poliovirus to continue circulating. The government-led Polio Eradication Initiative called on parents and caregivers to ensure their children are vaccinated during the upcoming door-to-door campaign from September 21 to 27.

The authority emphasized that consistent vaccination is crucial to protect every family and eliminate polio permanently.

The latest case highlights the importance of maintaining surveillance and vaccination efforts throughout the country. Pakistan has significantly reduced polio cases, from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to just 31 in 2025. In 2026, four cases have been reported, mostly concentrated in southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Although overall poliovirus transmission has declined since 2025, it remains persistent in southern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Three large-scale polio campaigns have already been conducted this year, vaccinating over 45 million children multiple times, along with smaller targeted oral and injectable campaigns in high-risk areas. The next nationwide campaign is scheduled for September 21 to 27, aiming to vaccinate more than 31 million children across 115 districts in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh.

The statement concluded by asserting that polio eradication is a collective responsibility, with frontline workers continuing to deliver vaccines directly to children at their homes while parents and caregivers play a crucial role in ensuring children receive all recommended doses, including routine immunizations.