Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the government’s resolve to completely eliminate polio from Pakistan during a high-level review meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The premier highlighted encouraging progress, noting that only one case of the disease has been reported in the country so far this year.
Sharp Decline in Polio Cases
During the briefing at the Prime Minister’s House, officials reported that the single case for 2026 was identified in the Sujawal district. This represents a significant downward trend compared to 31 cases reported in 2025 and 74 cases in 2024.
The scale of the outbreak has also shrunk geographically. The number of polio-affected districts fell from 67 in the first quarter of 2025 to 23 in the first quarter of 2026.
no cases have been reported in 2026 from Islamabad, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, or Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Regional Successes and Surveillance
National household coverage for anti-polio campaigns has remained consistently high at 98%. Efforts in the southern districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have successfully reduced the number of children missing their polio drops.
In the Quetta Block, officials recorded a substantial decline in local transmission of the poliovirus. Similarly, Dera Ismail Khan district has reported no new cases since September 2025.
Environmental surveillance in Karachi also provided positive results. In March, poliovirus was not detected in 10 out of 12 environmental samples collected.
Future Strategies and Coordination
The government is currently finalizing a strategy that could integrate the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) with the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) at both provincial and federal levels.
the government may strengthen outreach by linking certain interventions of the Benazir Income Support Programme with anti-polio measures. Prime Minister Sharif emphasized that sustained coordination between partner organizations, frontline workers and federal and provincial authorities is essential.
The high-level meeting was attended by Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for National Health Services Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication.
Despite this progress, health authorities warn that Pakistan remains one of the few countries where polio still cripples children. Continued public cooperation and vigilance are likely to remain critical to stopping transmission entirely. Read more on the lingering threat of polio.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many polio cases have been reported in Pakistan in 2026?
Only one polio case has been reported so far in 2026, which was identified in the Sujawal district.
What is the current national household coverage for anti-polio campaigns?
National household coverage has remained consistently high at 98%.
Which regions in Pakistan have reported no polio cases in 2026?
No cases have been reported so far in 2026 from Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, or Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
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