ISLAMABAD: The cou­ntry has reported its first case of polio for 2026, with the victim belonging to Sindh.

According to an official of the National Institute of Health (NIH), the wild poliovirus case has been confirmed in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council in Sujawal district, Sindh.

“The case was reported through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at NIH, Islamabad,” he said.

The official said that while the country reported 31 cases in 2025, the number was less than 50 per cent compared to 2024, when 74 cases were reco­rded. “However, in 2023, only six cases were repo­rted. As the low transmission season for the poliovirus is currently underway, efforts will be made to contain the virus before the start of the high transmission season,” he said.

It is worth mentioning that the virus causing the crippling disease becomes less active during winter, from September to April, a period referred to as the low transmission season. During summer, the virus becomes more active and the risk of infection increases.

According to a statement, despite challenges, eradicating the global public health threat of polio in Pakistan and worldwide is within reach, and the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) continues to intensify efforts to leave no child behind.

Since 1994, the country has reduced polio cases by 99.8 per cent — from an estimated 20,000 cases annually in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025.

In 2026, the government has already conducted a nationwide polio campaign that protected over 45 million children, while the next national campaign is planned for April. In 2025, the PEI carried out five nationwide campaigns, in addition to targeted rounds of oral and injectable polio vaccination and integrated activities with the national routine immunisation programme.

“While the overall trend shows a decline in poliovirus detections compared to 2024, reflecting the impact of high-quality vaccination campaigns conducted in 2025, virus circulation persists in certain high-risk areas, including districts of Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These detections underscore the continued need for robust, targeted efforts to interrupt transmission and consistent vaccination for children,” the statement said.

Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis and death. However, it can be prevented through safe and effective vaccines that have been used in 195 countries, including all Muslim states.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2026