Ninth polio case detected this week: PM for preparing plan to intensify eradication efforts

ISLAMABAD: Following the detection of the ninth polio case this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed federal health officials to consult all four provinces and prepare a coordinated national action plan within a week to intensify eradication efforts.

The latest case was detected in Khyber district on Thursday, taking the national tally to nine, officials told a meeting chaired by the prime minister to review the polio situation and ongoing vaccination campaigns.

Seven of the nine cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – three each in Khyber and Bannu districts and one in North Waziristan – while the remaining two were detected in Sindh, one each in Karachi East and Sujawal.

Officials informed the meeting that all three cases in Khyber district were linked to the poliovirus circulating in Afghanistan, with cross-border movement identified as a major factor in the spread of the virus.

Expressing concern over the continued detection of cases, Sharif called for a more effective and coordinated response, acknowledging that making Pakistan polio-free remained a formidable challenge.

He directed the federal health minister, minister of state, health secretary and members of the polio eradication team to visit all four provinces immediately and consult the respective chief ministers and chief secretaries.

The team was asked to formulate an integrated national action plan within a week, ensuring close coordination between the federal and provincial governments and other stakeholders.

The prime minister also stressed the need to improve routine immunisation coverage, particularly in areas affected by polio and those at high risk of transmission.

He said the government would ensure the safety and continued access of frontline vaccination workers, acknowledging the efforts of polio teams and law enforcement personnel in conducting campaigns in security-sensitive and hard-to-reach areas.

The meeting was informed that access for vaccination teams had improved in several challenging parts of the country where security concerns had previously disrupted campaigns.

Measures were also under way to strengthen the security of teams and facilitate their access to southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Officials told the meeting that Punjab has not reported a new polio case since February 2025, while Balochistan has recorded no cases in 2025 or 2026. Azad Jammu and Kashmir and GilgitBaltistan have also remained polio-free.

In Sindh, officials noted a decline in the detection of poliovirus in environmental samples this year, indicating an improvement in surveillance indicators.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Minister of State for National Health Services Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, the prime minister’s focal person for the Polio Eradication Programme Ayesha Raza Farooq and senior officials attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026