Fourth polio case of 2026 reported in KP's Bannu district

ISLAMABAD: The National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC) on Friday confirmed a fourth polio case in Pakistan during the ongoing year, with the latest case reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district.

The government-led Polio Eradication Initiative urged all parents and caregivers to ensure that their children are vaccinated during the upcoming door-to-door campaign from Sept 21 to 27, and in every subsequent campaign, to protect them from lifelong disability.

Three of the four cases have been reported from southern KP, where security-related access constraints have resulted in children missing critical vaccination, allowing wild poliovirus to continue circulating.

“Thanks to the safe and effective polio vaccine, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8 per cent, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025. So far in 2026, four cases have been reported, mostly concentrated in southern KP,” a statement issued by the polio programme said.

“While overall poliovirus transmission in the country has declined since 2025, transmission remains persistent in southern KP,” it added.

According to the statement, the affected child hailed from the Nurar union council in Miryan tehsil, where vaccination teams were unable to reach children consistently since 2025 due to insecurity.

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

Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis and, in some cases, death. It can, however, be prevented through safe and effective polio vaccines, which have been used safely in 195 countries, including all Muslim-majority countries.

The first case of the year was reported from Sindh in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council in Sujawal district. The other two were reported in Bannu and North Waziristan.

So far this year, Pakistan has already conducted three large-scale polio campaigns. The next national campaign is scheduled for Sept 21 to 27 and aims to protect nearly 31 million children, including those in southern KP.