Pakistan reports ninth polio case amid Afghan virus links

Pakistan has reported its ninth polio case of 2026 after a seven-month-old child tested positive for the virus in Khyber district, raising fresh concerns about cross-border transmission from Afghanistan.

Health officials confirmed on Thursday that the infected infant belongs to Union Council Mastak in Bara tehsil. The case marks the third reported from Khyber district this year and takes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s total to seven. Sindh has recorded the remaining two cases.

Genetic analysis has linked all three poliovirus cases detected in Khyber district to strains circulating in Afghanistan. The findings highlight the continuing risk of cross-border transmission, particularly in areas where communities frequently move between the two countries.

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the transmission of wild poliovirus has not been stopped. Security concerns, inaccessible communities, population movements and gaps in childhood vaccination continue to hinder eradication efforts.

Health authorities have stressed the need for stronger coordination between Islamabad and Kabul to prevent the virus from spreading across border regions. However, experts say cross-border transmission is not the only concern. Local virus circulation, missed children during vaccination drives and insufficient immunity in vulnerable communities also pose significant challenges.

The World Health Organisation considers Pakistan and Afghanistan a single epidemiological region for polio eradication. It has also expressed concerns about vaccination restrictions in parts of Afghanistan, where house-to-house immunisation has been limited and children are often vaccinated at designated centres.

Meanwhile, environmental surveillance in Pakistan has detected poliovirus in sewage samples from the Peshawar surveillance block, covering Peshawar and Khyber districts. The findings indicate that the virus continues to circulate despite repeated nationwide vaccination campaigns.

Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases in 2024 and 31 in 2025. The number has fallen to nine so far in 2026, although health officials warn that the continued detection of the virus remains a serious concern.

The government is currently conducting a seven-day nationwide polio vaccination campaign from November 2 to 8. The drive aims to administer oral polio vaccine to approximately 24 million children under five across 97 districts.

Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal has urged parents to ensure that all eligible children receive polio drops during the campaign, even if they have been vaccinated previously.

Health authorities say repeated doses are necessary to build strong immunity and stop transmission. They have emphasised that reaching children missed during previous campaigns, improving routine immunisation and strengthening cooperation with Afghanistan are essential to eliminating the disease.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause permanent paralysis. Although it has no cure, it can be prevented through vaccination. Officials warn that children in both countries will remain at risk until the virus is completely eliminated from the region.