Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a coordinated national strategy to eradicate polio, describing the goal of a polio-free Pakistan as a major challenge that requires stronger efforts and close cooperation between the federal and provincial governments.
Chairing a review meeting on polio eradication on Thursday, the prime minister directed officials to formulate a comprehensive strategy within a week after consulting all four provinces and relevant stakeholders.
He instructed the federal health minister, minister of state, health secretary and members of the anti-polio team to visit the provinces and hold meetings with chief ministers and chief secretaries.
Sharif said the country’s resolve to eliminate the disease was stronger than the challenge and stressed that eradication efforts must be supported by a unified approach.
Pakistan reports ninth polio case this year
The meeting was informed that a new polio case had been reported from Khyber district, taking the country’s total to nine in 2026.
According to the briefing, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported seven cases this year: three in Khyber district, three in Bannu and one in North Waziristan.
Sindh has reported two cases, one each in Karachi’s East district and Sujawal district.
The briefing noted that all cases reported from Khyber district were linked to a poliovirus strain also found in Afghanistan. Cross-border movement from Afghanistan was identified as a major factor contributing to the spread of the virus in Pakistan.
PM stresses protection of vaccination teams
Sharif praised frontline polio workers and law enforcement agencies for their efforts in carrying out vaccination campaigns across the country.
He said ensuring the safety and access of vaccination teams remained a government priority and called for improved coverage of routine immunisation.
The prime minister also directed officials to increase vaccination coverage in areas reporting polio cases and other locations considered high-risk.
While acknowledging improvements in access to sensitive and difficult-to-reach areas, he expressed concern over the recent cases and called for more focused and intensive efforts.
The meeting was also briefed on measures to improve the security of vaccination teams and their access to southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Polio situation varies across provinces
The briefing said Punjab had not reported a new polio case since February 2025, while Balochistan had reported none in 2025 or 2026.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were also reported to be polio-free.
In Sindh, officials observed a decline in poliovirus concentration in environmental samples this year.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Syed Mustafa Kamal and Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for National Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, the prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq and other senior officials.
