Pakistan has recorded a significant decline in polio cases, from 74 in 2024 and 31 in 2025 to four in 2026, while positivity in environmental surveillance samples has fallen below 10 per cent.
The progress was reported at a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Committee on the National Taskforce for Polio Eradication, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal. The Planning Minister formally launched the latest nationwide vaccination campaign and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to continue national efforts until poliovirus transmission was completely stopped.
Of the four cases reported in 2026, three were recorded in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, underscoring the need for sustained attention to remaining high-risk areas.
Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, representatives of provincial governments and federating units, development partners, government departments and relevant organisations attended the meeting. Representatives of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Pakistan PolioPlus Committee and Rotary also participated.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said polio eradication was a national responsibility directly linked to the health, dignity and future of Pakistan’s children. He noted that of the 120 countries where polio had once been present, 118 had eradicated the virus, leaving Pakistan and Afghanistan as the only two countries where it remained endemic.
The Planning Minister said polio was not merely a public-health challenge but a threat to the lifelong potential of affected children and the wellbeing of their families. Even one case, he stressed, meant that every unprotected child remained at risk while the virus continued to circulate.
Calling for unified national action to achieve zero polio, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal appealed to parents, particularly mothers, to ensure that every eligible child received the vaccine.
“When a polio worker knocks on your door, do not ignore that knock. It is the knock of your child’s future,” the minister said. “Those two drops can protect your child’s future.”
He urged religious scholars, community leaders and opinion-makers to counter misinformation and strengthen public confidence in vaccination. He said violence or intimidation against polio workers was deeply alarming and must be rejected collectively.
The minister also called upon young people, including university students, to support community-awareness efforts. He emphasised that children must be provided with a healthy, nurturing and child-friendly environment during the first five years of life, when most mental development takes place.
Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal appreciated the work of polio teams, provincial governments and field personnel. He said the four cases reported during the current year reflected important progress, but the national effort could not conclude until Pakistan achieved zero poliovirus transmission.
The World Bank representative applauded the significant reduction in polio cases. The UNICEF representative commended the leadership demonstrated at the federal, provincial and district levels and described the forthcoming campaign, scheduled to begin on Monday, as an important opportunity to focus on the highest-risk pockets and build upon the progress already achieved.
Concluding the meeting, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said the results reflected a promising trajectory and demonstrated a whole-of-government commitment to making Pakistan polio-free.
He said polio teams must be enabled to reach every child and that no area should remain beyond the campaign’s reach. He assured frontline personnel that they would not be left alone in carrying out their responsibilities and that the government and the country’s security apparatus would stand firmly behind them.
