Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered federal health officials and members of the polio eradication team to visit all four provinces to develop a coordinated strategy to eliminate the disease within one week. During a high-level review meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Islamabad on Thursday, November 5, 2026, the premier expressed concern over recent infections and stated that the government cannot afford to lose momentum in the campaign against the "crippling disease."
The Prime Minister told officials, "We must move forward with a better strategy and intensified struggle against polio than before." He emphasized that a unified approach involving the federation, provinces, and other stakeholders is essential for complete eradication. Sharif noted that while a polio-free Pakistan is a "major challenge," he stated that the country's "resolve and morale are far stronger than this challenge."
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the premier directed the federal health minister, minister of state, secretary for national health, and members of the polio eradication team to immediately visit the four provinces and consult their respective chief ministers and chief secretaries.
The meeting was informed that a new polio case was detected in the Khyber district, bringing the total number of reported cases this year to nine. The briefing detailed that seven of these cases occurred in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), with three in Khyber district, three in Bannu, and one in North Waziristan. The remaining two cases were reported from Sindh, specifically in the Karachi East and Sujawal districts.
Officials reported that the amount of poliovirus in environmental samples from Sindh has decreased this year. However, the briefing revealed that all three cases in Khyber district were linked to poliovirus from Afghanistan, identifying cross-border movement as a major factor in the spread.
The Prime Minister commended the work of law enforcement agencies and frontline workers, stating the government would prioritize their security and ensure uninterrupted access to vaccination sites, especially in areas with difficult terrain or security risks. He further directed authorities to improve routine immunization coverage nationwide, focusing on high-risk and polio-affected regions.
The briefing also noted that Punjab has not reported a new case since February 2025, while Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan have remained free of reported cases throughout 2025 and 2026.
In a separate meeting with a Gates Foundation delegation, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal stated he is personally monitoring the program, visiting high-risk areas, and coordinating with provincial governments. He specifically called for increased measures in Karachi and southern K-P.
