Overview
- The National Emergency Operations Center confirmed on Monday that a six-month-old boy from Jamali Colony in Karachi East tested positive for wild poliovirus and the Regional Reference Laboratory at the NIH in Islamabad validated the result.
- Karachi has recorded wild poliovirus in sewage samples throughout 2026, and those environmental detections signal silent transmission risk even when clinical cases are few.
- The Polio Eradication Initiative and NEOC have launched a comprehensive investigation and are deploying targeted vaccination and routine immunisation-strengthening measures in the area.
- Authorities have scheduled a nationwide vaccination campaign for November 2–8 to reach about 24 million children across 97 districts, including all of Karachi, as part of the immediate effort to contain spread.
- Pakistan has driven polio cases down from thousands decades ago to 31 in 2025, but the country remains one of two with ongoing wild poliovirus transmission and officials urge parents, community leaders, and media to counter misinformation and ensure children receive vaccines.