Pakistan has recorded a 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 Ahsan Iqbal. The minister formally launched the latest nationwide vaccination campaign and reaffirmed the government's resolve to continue national efforts until poliovirus transmission is 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 Mustafa Kamal, Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, representatives of provincial governments and federating units, development partners, government departments and relevant organisations attended the meeting. Representatives of World Health Organization, Unicef, Pakistan PolioPlus Committee and Rotary also participated.

In his opening remarks, Ahsan 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, Ahsan appealed to parents, particularly mothers, to ensure that every eligible child receives the vaccine. The World Bank representative applauded the significant reduction in polio cases.