Pakistan reports new polio case, urges parents to vaccinate children

Pakistan has reported its seventh polio case of 2026, with the latest infection detected in a 13-month-old girl from Khyber district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) confirmed.

The child belongs to Jan Baz Union Council in Bara tehsil. This is the second case reported from Khyber district this year and the sixth from K-P. Of the seven cases nationwide, six have emerged from K-P and one from Sindh.

The NEOC said polio is an incurable but preventable disease and urged parents to ensure their children receive vaccination during every campaign and complete their routine immunisation schedules.

A nationwide sub-national immunisation campaign will run from November 2 to 8 across 97 selected districts, targeting more than 24 million children under the age of five. The drive will also cover all districts of Karachi.

According to the NEOC, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8%, from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025. The country has reported seven cases so far this year.

Pakistan has conducted four nationwide vaccination campaigns this year, reaching more than 45 million children. A September campaign also administered polio drops to over 29.3 million children, alongside targeted vaccination drives in high-risk areas.