Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC) confirms the country’s eighth polio case of 2026, reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district. The affected child is a 13-month-old girl from Union Council Janbaz-B in the Bara tehsil, according to the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme (PPEP).
PPEP describes polio as highly contagious with no cure, but preventable through vaccination. It urges parents to ensure children under five receive the oral polio vaccine during an upcoming subnational polio campaign scheduled for Nov 2–8 and through subsequent campaigns. The programme says this is the second case from Khyber district this year and the sixth from KP province, highlighting that risk continues where vaccination coverage is inconsistent.
While wild poliovirus transmission has declined overall, outlets note that the Peshawar Block (Khyber and Peshawar districts) has reported positive environmental detections, suggesting ongoing virus circulation. Pakistan’s initiative is conducting case investigation and response planning, including targeted vaccination and efforts to strengthen routine immunisation, alongside multiple polio campaigns already carried out this year.
