The Sindh Emergency Operations Centre confirmed the country's seventh polio case of 2026 in Karachi East, as health authorities prepare a week-long sub-national vaccination drive for more than 23.9 million children starting November 2.
Pakistan has recorded its seventh polio case of 2026 after a new case was reported in Karachi East, health officials said on Monday. According to the Sindh Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), five of the seven cases reported this year are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two from Sindh.
The latest case was confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad after the virus was detected through the polio surveillance network. The affected child is a six-month-old boy from Union Council Jamali Colony in Karachi East. The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said a comprehensive investigation into the case had been launched.
According to the Sindh EOC, the last polio case in Karachi was reported in December 2024 — nearly two years ago. Officials stressed that although polio is an incurable disease, it can be prevented through vaccination.
<h2>Nationwide campaign from November 2</h2> The development comes ahead of a week-long sub-national polio vaccination campaign scheduled for November 2 to 8, during which more than 23.9 million children under five years of age will be vaccinated across 97 selected districts of the country, including all districts of Karachi. The campaign will run in synchronisation with Afghanistan.
Under the campaign plan, more than 9.278 million children will be vaccinated in 13 selected districts of Punjab, while over 6.883 million children will receive polio drops in 20 districts of Sindh. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the campaign will target more than 4.808 million children across 27 selected districts, while over 2.217 million children will be vaccinated in 31 districts of Balochistan.
The NEOC said frontline polio workers would visit households to administer two drops of the vaccine to every eligible child. The Polio Eradication Initiative is also analysing a science-based response to tackle and prevent further transmission, including targeted vaccination activities and support to strengthen routine immunisation.
<h2>Long fight against the virus</h2> Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus that primarily affects children under the age of five. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or death. While there is no cure, vaccination remains the most effective means of prevention. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic.
According to the NEOC, Pakistan has recorded a 99.8 per cent reduction in polio cases — from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025 and seven so far this year. Four nationwide polio campaigns have already been conducted in 2026, protecting more than 45 million children multiple times, in addition to targeted oral and injectable vaccination activities in high-risk areas.
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