First Polio Case of 2026 Reported in Sindh’s Sujawal District
News Desk
Islamabad: Pakistan has reported its first case of wild polio in 2026 after the virus was detected in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council in Sujawal district of Sindh, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The country’s National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for Polio Eradication said the case was identified through the national polio surveillance network and later confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad.
Authorities said the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is currently assessing the situation and planning an appropriate response to prevent further transmission of the virus.
Despite the latest case, health officials say Pakistan has made significant progress in the fight against polio over the past decades.
Since 1994, the country has reduced polio cases by 99.8 percent, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 cases reported in 2025, largely due to widespread vaccination campaigns.
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In 2026, Pakistan has already carried out a nationwide anti-polio campaign that vaccinated more than 45 million children, while the next national drive is scheduled for April.
During 2025, the PEI conducted five nationwide campaigns along with targeted rounds of oral and injectable polio vaccines and integrated immunization activities.
Health officials noted that although overall poliovirus detections declined compared with 2024, the virus is still circulating in some high-risk areas, particularly in districts of Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause permanent paralysis and even death. However, it can be prevented through safe and effective vaccines that have been widely used in 195 countries, including all Muslim nations.
Authorities urged parents to ensure their children receive all recommended doses of the polio vaccine during every campaign.
They also called on communities, religious leaders, and the media to support vaccination efforts and help counter misinformation in order to protect every child from the disease.
