First polio case of 2026 confirmed in Sindh

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Pakistan has confirmed its first wild poliovirus case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council, Sujawal district, Sindh, the National Emergency Operations Center announced on Thursday.

The case was detected through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health. Health authorities are analyzing the most effective response to prevent further transmission.

Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative emphasized that despite ongoing challenges, eradication of polio remains achievable. Since 1994, polio vaccination efforts have reduced cases by 99.8%, from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to just 31 in 2025.

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In 2026, over 45 million children have already been reached through a nationwide polio campaign, with the next round scheduled for April. In 2025, the PEI carried out five nationwide campaigns, in addition to targeted rounds of oral and injectable vaccines integrated with routine immunization programs.

Health officials noted that while overall polio detections have declined compared to 2024, the virus continues to circulate in certain high-risk areas, including parts of Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Polio is a highly contagious, incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis or death, but vaccination remains safe, effective, and widely used globally, including in all Muslim-majority countries.

The PEI urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive all recommended polio doses, stressing that communities, religious leaders, and media play a vital role in promoting vaccination, countering misinformation, and protecting every child in Pakistan.

“Together, we can achieve a polio-free future for every child, in Pakistan and worldwide,” the initiative said.