Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme shared good news on March 13, 2026. Most sewage samples taken in January and February tested negative for the poliovirus. This means the vaccination drives are doing much better now.
In February, teams collected 126 environmental samples from different parts of the country. Out of those, only 15 came back positive. That leaves 111 negative. When they look at the first two months of 2026 and compare them with the same time in 2025, positive samples fell from 144 last year to just 39 this year. Only one child got paralysed by polio so far in 2026. Last year six children had it in the same period.
The numbers look stronger province by province too. Balochistan had 11 positive samples this year instead of 38 last year. Punjab reported only one positive sample compared with 27. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw six instead of 26. Sindh had 27 against 50 in early 2025.
Expert Says Virus Could Return Because of Border Problems
A polio expert who did not want his name used said the figures give real hope. He believes Pakistan can stop the virus completely this year if things stay on track. But he warned about one big danger. The current tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan could let the virus come back strong when the high season starts next month.
In southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa security issues stop teams from reaching almost 120,000 children. Those kids miss their drops and become easy targets for the virus. Some far-off places do not even have drainage systems, so no one can test the sewage there. The virus could hide and spread quietly in those spots.
The high-transmission time usually starts end of April or beginning of May and runs until September. The virus moves faster in hot weather.
Programme Leader Talks About Improvements
Anwarul Haq, who heads the Pakistan Polio Programme, spoke to Dawn. He said it feels good to finally see the virus going down everywhere in the environment. Most parts of Waziristan except North Waziristan are now free of polio. The team puts extra effort into routine immunisation so children build strong protection.
Karachi has far fewer cases now. Punjab stays almost clean. Balochistan is getting better too. The main target remains to end transmission fully in 2026.
Pakistan has been very close to wiping out polio before. Access problems along the border and security worries always bring the risk back.
