What happened
Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication confirmed the first wild poliovirus case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council in Sindh’s Sujawal district, Dawn reported on Thursday 5 March. The case was detected through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, according to a NEOC press release.
Why it matters
The detection marks the year’s first confirmed case and comes as the programme tries to reduce transmission in a small number of high-risk areas. The NEOC said Pakistan had already carried out a nationwide campaign this year that protected more than 45 million children, with the next campaign planned for April. It said the overall trend showed a decline in detections compared with 2024, but that virus circulation persists in certain high-risk districts, including parts of Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the last two countries where polio is endemic; 31 cases were reported in Pakistan during 2025. KhabarWire reported on the first nationwide vaccination drive of 2026.
What is still uncertain
The NEOC did not release further details about the circumstances of the case or the immediate response measures planned in Sujawal. The programme said it was analysing the best response to prevent further transmission but did not give a timeline for the next targeted campaign in the district.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-03-05.
- Dawn — First polio case of 2026 reported from Sujawal District in SindhPublished 5 March 2026 · The confirmed case, the laboratory, campaign figures and the 2025 case count.
- Pakistan Today — First wild polio case of 2026 confirmed in Sujawal District, SindhPublished 5 March 2026 · Confirmation details and the NEOC statement on the response.
