Polio persists in Pakistan and Afghanistan as funding, security hurdles stall eradication
World Polio Day highlights that Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries with wild poliovirus, reporting 42 and six cases respectively in 2026 amid security, access and funding challenges.
Marking World Polio Day, officials note that Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last reservoirs of wild poliovirus, with 42 and six cases reported in 2026 respectively. The surge follows a reversal from just 12 cases in 2023 to 99 in 2024, underscoring the fragility of recent gains. Wild virus continues to appear in sewage samples, indicating silent transmission beyond reported paralytic cases.
In Afghanistan, Taliban restrictions halted house-to-door vaccination in late 2024, forcing reliance on fixed sites that miss many children; in Pakistan, vaccine teams face lethal attacks and community mistrust. Funding cuts to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, including the loss of U.S. contributions, have reduced surveillance capacity at a critical moment. Experts point to India's successful door-to-door strategy and community engagement as a model, but sustained financing, security for vaccinators, and cross-border coordination remain essential to achieve the 2027 eradication target.
Why it matters
Continued polio transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan jeopardizes global eradication and could trigger a worldwide resurgence.
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