Pakistan records fifth polio case of 2026 in Bannu

Pakistan has detected its fifth polio case of 2026 after the virus was found in a 17-month-old girl in Bannu district, officials said on Tuesday.

The child belongs to Khandar Khankhel union council in Domel tehsil, according to an official of the National Emergency Operations Centre.

The latest case means Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported four of the country’s five polio cases this year. Three of those cases have been detected in Bannu district alone, while one case has been reported in Sindh.

Pakistan’s polio eradication programme also confirmed the latest case, saying continued vaccination and disease surveillance were necessary, particularly in southern KP.

“This new case underscores the urgent need to maintain strong surveillance and vaccination efforts nationwide, because no child will be safe from polio until every child is vaccinated and safe,” the programme said.

The country has seen a sharp fall in polio cases compared with recent years. Pakistan recorded 31 cases in 2025 and 74 in 2024.

The polio programme said vaccination had cut the number of cases by 99.8 per cent from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s.