Pakistan’s polio environmental positivity rate falls to 13.1% in early 2026

Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Center reported that the proportion of environmental samples testing positive for poliovirus dropped from 48.1% in the same period last year to 13.1% in the first half of 2026. Out of 127 samples collected nationwide in June, 117 were negative and 10 were positive. Provincial results showed all 31 samples from Punjab negative, 28 of 29 from Sindh negative, 30 of 34 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa negative, and 18 of 23 from Balochistan negative.

The country has confirmed three polio cases so far in 2026, continuing a long‑term decline from roughly 20,000 estimated cases in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025 – a 99.8% reduction. Authorities emphasized that environmental surveillance, vaccination coverage and outreach are being strengthened, urging parents to vaccinate every child under five and calling vaccinators "national heroes." Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only nations where polio is still endemic.