ISLAMABAD: Two polio cases were found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, taking the countrywide tally of the year to three.
This year’s first case was detected in Sindh.
An official of the Polio Programme, wishing not to be quoted, said Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication (NEOC) has confirmed two new cases of wild poliovirus, one in Bannu and another in North Waziristan, in southern KP, where access constraints continue to facilitate poliovirus transmission, posing a continued risk to children’s well-being.
“The two new cases were reported through the poliovirus surveillance network and confirmed by the WHO-accredited Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH). The affected children belong to Jani Khel union council of Bannu and Garyom union council of North Waziristan districts - both being affected by longstanding security related inaccessibility,” he said.
The official said that with the sudden wave of heat it seemed that the high transmission period will start much earlier this year.
“Usually, the high transmission season starts by the end of May, ending in September,” he added. The polio virus remains less active during low temperature and becomes more active during high temperature and because of this, summer season is called the high transmission season for the spread of the virus.
The polio programme, in a statement, claimed that the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) was analysing the best science-based response to reach and immunise children in the region and prevent further poliovirus transmission. “In addition, the PEI is implementing alternative strategies in southern KP, including integrated service delivery of health services like nutrition, routine immunisation, maternal and child health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash), as well as a community-based polio vaccination initiative to increase vaccination rates and build immunity,” it said.
Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026
