Bannu, September 29, 2026: Pakistan has reported its fifth polio case of 2026, with the latest infection detected in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) confirmed on Tuesday.
According to the NEOC, four of the five polio cases reported in the country this year have been detected in Bannu division, including three in Bannu district.
The latest case involves a 17-month-old girl from Khandar Khankhel Union Council in Tehsil Domel, Bannu district.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains the province most affected by poliovirus transmission. Of the 31 cases reported nationwide in 2025, 20 were recorded in KP, while Sindh reported nine cases and Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan one case each.
The NEOC said polio eradication was a collective responsibility, with frontline workers ensuring that vaccines reach children across the country.
It urged parents and caregivers to ensure that children receive all recommended polio vaccine doses as well as routine immunisations.
The authorities also highlighted the role of communities, religious leaders and the media in promoting vaccination, countering misinformation and helping ensure that every child remains protected against the disease.
The NEOC said Pakistan had reduced its annual polio caseload by 99.8% through the use of safe and effective vaccines, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025 and five so far in 2026.
It said overall poliovirus transmission had declined since 2025, although the virus continued to circulate persistently in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
