Polio case Pakistan 2026: 9th case as 7-month-old boy in Bara paralysed
A seven-month-old boy in Bara, Khyber, is Pakistan's ninth polio case of 2026, the third from that district. Where the cases are and the campaign under way now.
A seven-month-old boy from Mastak union council in Bara tehsil, Khyber district, has been confirmed as Pakistan’s ninth polio case of 2026, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for polio eradication announced on Thursday, 5 November.
It is the second case from Khyber in a week: on Sunday the NEOC reported a 13-month-old girl from the same district as case number eight.
Where this year’s cases are
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 7 cases, including 3 from Khyber district
- Sindh: 2 cases
- Punjab: no case since February 2025
- Balochistan: no case in 2025 or 2026
- Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan: polio-free
The NEOC said the virus in the latest case is genetically linked to Afghanistan, which has recorded 50 cases this year. “The case is a stark reminder that poliovirus knows no borders,” its statement said.
Prime minister orders a plan within a week
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, briefed on the situation, directed officials to bring an action plan within a week. “Achieving a polio-free Pakistan is a major challenge. However, our resolve and morale are far stronger than this challenge,” he said.
What parents should do now
A door-to-door vaccination campaign is already running in 97 districts, Khyber among them, aiming to reach nearly 24 million children under five. Polio has no cure, and the two drops are given free at every visit, however many times a child has been vaccinated before. Each extra dose adds protection, which is why health workers ask parents to let them vaccinate every child in the house, every round.
If vaccinators missed your home, the polio helpline 1166 can tell you where to get the drops.
