Islamabad, Nov 5 (PTI) Another case of poliovirus was detected in a seven-month-old boy in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, taking the total number of cases this year to nine.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad confirmed the ninth wild poliovirus case of 2026, adding that the affected child is a seven-month-old boy from Mastak Union Council in Bara Tehsil of Khyber district.
“This is the third case from the district this year and the seventh from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” according to the statement.
While overall the wild poliovirus transmission has declined this year, the Peshawar Block – which comprises of Khyber and Peshawar districts and borders Afghanistan – and its neighbouring southern KPK districts have reported continuous virus detections, including cases, highlighting the ever-present risk of polio paralysis to children.
The poliovirus detected in all three cases from Khyber district has genetic linkages to Afghanistan – which is facing an intense outbreak with 50 cases reported this year.
“The case is a stark reminder that poliovirus knows no borders and no child anywhere will be safe from polio until every child is safe, and poliovirus transmission has stopped completely,” according to the statement.
Pakistan is making efforts to root out the disease through the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI).
A door-to-door polio vaccination campaign is currently underway in 97 districts, including Khyber, to protect nearly 24 million children, while a targeted injectable polio vaccination campaign was held in 78 union councils of the Peshawar Block from October 26-31 that protected 829,000 children up to the age of 10.
Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8 per cent, from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025, and nine so far this year.
This year, seven cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two from Sindh.
Polio is a highly contagious disease that has no cure and can cause lifelong paralysis and, in some cases, even death.
It can, however, be prevented through polio vaccines – which are safe and effective and have been safely used in 195 countries, including all Muslim-majority countries, according to the statement.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)