PM gives one week to draw up national anti-polio strategy
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered consultations with all four provinces and a coordinated polio plan within a week. Pakistan's 2026 tally reached nine cases after a new one was reported from Khyber district on 5 November.
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- PM Shehbaz Sharif asked for a coordinated, comprehensive anti-polio plan within one week.
- A ninth case of 2026 was reported from Khyber district on 5 November.
- Seven of the nine cases are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Sindh.
- Safety of polio workers was described as the government's top priority.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed officials to complete consultations with the provinces within one week and prepare a coordinated, comprehensive plan to eliminate polio. He gave the order while chairing a review meeting on anti-polio efforts, according to Daily Jang and the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
The meeting was briefed on the current polio situation, recent cases and the steps being taken. The prime minister expressed serious concern over the recent cases. He said: "Achieving a polio-free Pakistan is a major challenge, but our determination and resolve are far stronger than this challenge."
APP reported that the prime minister told the federal minister, the minister of state, the federal health secretary and members of the anti-polio team to visit all four provinces immediately and hold consultations with the chief ministers and chief secretaries. He wants polio eliminated through a joint strategy agreed with all provinces and stakeholders.
Pakistan's tally for 2026 rose to nine after a new case was reported from Khyber district on Thursday, 5 November, APP reported. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded seven cases this year: three each in Khyber and Bannu, and one in North Waziristan. Sindh has reported two, one each from Karachi East and Sujawal.
The meeting was told that all cases from Khyber district were linked to poliovirus originating from Afghanistan, and that cross-border movement from Afghanistan is a major factor in the spread of the virus in Pakistan.
Other parts of the country were reported to be in a better position. Punjab has not reported a new case since February 2025, Balochistan has had none in 2025 and 2026, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan remain polio-free. Poliovirus detection in environmental samples from Sindh has also declined this year.
The prime minister directed better vaccination coverage across the country, especially routine immunisation in polio-affected and high-risk areas. Securing the safety of anti-polio workers during campaigns was described as the government's top priority. Officials said steps were under way to strengthen the security of the teams and improve their access to districts in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 1 November that Pakistan had recorded its eighth polio case of 2026, from Khyber district. A nationwide campaign running from 2 to 8 November aims to reach nearly 24 million children in 97 districts.
Why it matters
Polio campaigns decide whether millions of Pakistani children are vaccinated. The current drive targets nearly 24 million children in 97 districts. Families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where seven of this year's nine cases occurred, and in Sindh are most directly affected. The safety of vaccination teams and their access to southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also determine whether children there are reached.
