ISLAMABAD, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for Polio Eradication on Monday confirmed the country's sixth polio case of 2026, with the latest case reported in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KP).

According to a statement issued by the NEOC, the affected child is a seven-year-old boy from Khyber district of the province.

The concerned authority has launched a comprehensive investigation into the case and is planning additional vaccination measures in high-risk areas, including campaigns using oral and injectable polio vaccines as well as strengthened routine immunization, the NEOC said.

It said that five of the six polio cases reported in Pakistan this year have been detected in KP.

The NEOC said overall poliovirus transmission in Pakistan has declined since 2025, although transmission remains persistent in KP.

Pakistan has conducted four nationwide polio vaccination campaigns this year, protecting more than 45 million children multiple times, alongside targeted oral and injectable vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas.

The NEOC said extensive polio campaigns would continue across the country, calling on communities, religious leaders and the media to help promote vaccination and counter misinformation. ■

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