Pakistan reports ongoing year's fifth polio case

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan reported its fifth case of polio this year on Tuesday, with the virus affecting a 17-month-old girl in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu Division. The girl resides in the Khandar Khankhel union council of Domel tehsil in the Bannu district, according to an official from the National Emergency Operations Centre. Out of the five cases in the country this year, four have been detected in Bannu division, three of them originating from the Bannu district.

The development was confirmed on the Pakistan polio eradication programme's website. The statement revealed that vaccination efforts have decreased polio cases by 99.8 percent, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to five cases so far this year. However, transmission persists in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The new case emphasizes the urgent need to maintain robust surveillance and vaccination efforts nationwide, as no child is safe from polio until every child is vaccinated and secure.

With four cases reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Sindh so far this year, the tally remains significantly lower than the 31 cases recorded in 2025 and the 74 cases in 2024. Officials anticipate a substantial decrease in the 2026 polio tally compared to the previous two years. The drop is attributed to improved vaccination campaign performance and the onset of winter, a low-transmission season due to the virus's dormancy in cold temperatures.

Anwarul Haq, head of the Pakistan Polio Programme, stated that the ongoing year has been better in terms of performance, and entering the low-transmission season reduces the chances of polio cases. The week-long sub-national polio campaign concluded on September 27, during which over 28.2 million children were vaccinated. However, severe security challenges in the northwest pose threats to eradication efforts, with Bannu district remaining a critical vulnerability.

Security issues in Bannu have caused the suspension of polio campaigns and instances of kidnapping of polio team workers, as noted by a polio expert. Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can lead to lifelong paralysis and, in some cases, death. However, it can be prevented through safe and effective polio vaccines.