Summary
- Health authorities said security challenges in parts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have affected the access of anti polio teams to children.
- Health officials stressed that sustained vaccination coverage is essential to prevent the spread of poliovirus, particularly in areas where security concerns have disrupted anti polio campaigns.
- Officials said reaching every child with vaccination and maintaining continuous immunisation coverage are essential for the complete eradication of polio in Pakistan, while ensuring access to children in security affected areas remains a key part of the national effort.
BANNU: Pakistan has reported its fourth polio case of 2026, with the latest case confirmed in Bannu district of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Regional Reference Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in Islamabad confirmed poliovirus in an eight month old child from Union Council Nurar of Tehsil Meryan, health officials said.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, the latest case has taken the total number of polio cases reported across Pakistan this year to four. Three cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one from Sindh.
Officials said this is the second polio case reported from Bannu district this year, while the total number of cases in Bannu Division has reached three. Earlier, one case each had been reported from Bannu and North Waziristan.
Health authorities said security challenges in parts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have affected the access of anti polio teams to children. Officials noted that polio vaccination teams had been unable to maintain regular access to Union Council Nurar since 2025, affecting timely vaccination coverage among children in the area.
Health officials stressed that sustained vaccination coverage is essential to prevent the spread of poliovirus, particularly in areas where security concerns have disrupted anti polio campaigns.
They urged parents to ensure that their children receive polio drops during every vaccination campaign to protect them against the virus, which can cause permanent paralysis.
The next nationwide anti polio campaign is scheduled to run from September 21 to 27, during which health authorities have set a target of vaccinating around 31 million children.
Health authorities have also appealed to parents, religious scholars, teachers, community leaders and local elders to support the campaign and help ensure that every child receives the polio vaccine.
Officials said reaching every child with vaccination and maintaining continuous immunisation coverage are essential for the complete eradication of polio in Pakistan, while ensuring access to children in security affected areas remains a key part of the national effort.
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