‘Historic opportunity’ to end polio in Pakistan, says WHO

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Pakistan has reported only three cases of wild poliovirus in 2026, putting the country on the brink of eradicating the disease with critical efforts focused in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Sustained vaccination campaigns, strong political commitment, and coordinated cross-border cooperation with Afghanistan are essential over the next six to twelve months to completely stop transmission and prevent any resurgence.

Pakistan is on the verge of eradicating wild poliovirus, with just three cases reported in 2026, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Following a recent visit by a high-level international delegation, WHO officials described the coming six to twelve months as a crucial period to interrupt transmission and move closer to permanently ending the disease.

The delegation, led by WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Hanan Balkhy and members of the Polio Oversight Board (POB), highlighted the significant reduction in polio cases in Pakistan over the past three decades—amounting to a 99.8 percent drop. Currently, virus transmission is largely confined to southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Dr. Balkhy emphasized that the country possesses the necessary tools, including effective vaccines, advanced scientific understanding, and the dedication of hundreds of thousands of frontline health workers. However, she cautioned that sustained and intensified vaccination campaigns and surveillance are essential to fully seize this opportunity.

Acknowledging the strong political commitment, Dr. Balkhy commended Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the government for adopting a whole-of-government approach toward polio eradication. She stressed that maintaining high-level political support alongside the efforts of frontline workers and engaged communities will be key to halting virus transmission. Failure to eradicate polio, she warned, would result in costs far exceeding the investments needed for elimination.

Participants in the delegation included prominent figures such as Mike McGovern, Chair of the Polio Oversight Board and Rotary International PolioPlus Committee; UNICEF Asia Pacific Regional Director Sanjay Wijesekera; Gavi CEO Dr. Sania Nishtar; Gates Foundation Global Development President Dr. Chris Elias; and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Polio Team Lead Dr. Omotayo Bolu. During their visit, they met with key Pakistani officials, including Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, and Lieutenant General Kashif Nazir, Engineer-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army. The delegation also engaged with female frontline vaccinators, who comprise approximately 60 percent of the country’s more than 400,000 polio workers.

Prior to visiting Pakistan, the delegation traveled to Afghanistan, which has reported seven polio cases in 2026. Both countries remain the only nations worldwide where wild poliovirus is endemic, underscoring the importance of cross-border cooperation. Dr. Balkhy reiterated that Pakistan and Afghanistan form a single epidemiological unit and must coordinate efforts to halt virus transmission. She further called for better integration between routine immunization programs and emergency vaccination campaigns to prevent resurgence once transmission is interrupted.

Pakistan’s polio eradication program benefits from one of the world’s largest disease surveillance networks, including more than 12,500 acute flaccid paralysis reporting sites and 127 environmental surveillance locations, supported by the WHO-accredited Regional Reference Polio Laboratory. The Polio Oversight Board affirmed that sustained momentum and intensified efforts in the near term will be vital to finally achieve eradication of the virus in Pakistan and help protect children regionally and globally.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.