PM reaffirms commitment to eradicate polio as cases drop sharply in 2026

• Premier Shehbaz stresses sustained coordination between Centre-provinces, frontline workers and partners would remain essential to a polio-free Pakistan

• Only one polio case reported so far in 2026 in Sujawal district as cases drop from 74 in 2024 to 31 in 2025, officials brief PM

• Meeting told zero cases reported in major regions including Punjab, KP, and Islamabad with 98pc coverage achieved in anti-polio drives

• High-risk union councils in Bannu reduced from 62 to just six

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed the government’s resolve to completely eradicate polio from Pakistan, stressing sustained coordination between federal and provincial authorities to achieve the goal, while noting encouraging progress as only one case has been reported so far in 2026, according to state media.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on polio eradication at the Prime Minister’s House, the prime minister lauded the tireless efforts of anti-polio teams across the country and reiterated that eliminating the disease remains a national priority, said a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) press release.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chairs a review meeting on Polio eradication from the country. pic.twitter.com/8sWNXEOOaU

— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) April 22, 2026

“Sustained coordination between federal and provincial authorities, frontline workers, and partner organizations would remain essential to achieving the goal of a polio-free Pakistan,” the PMO quoted the prime minister as saying.

During the briefing, participants were informed that only one polio case had been reported this year from Sujawal district, compared with 74 cases in 2024 and 31 cases in 2025, reflecting a marked downward trend. Officials further confirmed that no cases have so far been reported in 2026 from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, or Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیرِ صدارت انسدادِ پولیو پر اہم جائزہ اجلاس

وزیراعظم نے پولیو کے خلاف جنگ میں انسدادِ پولیو ٹیم کی بھرپور کوششوں کی تعریف کی۔

اجلاس کو انسدادِ پولیو اقدامات پر بریفنگ میں بتایا گیا کہ خیبرپختونخوا کے جنوبی اضلاع میں بہتر رسائی اور انسدادِ پولیو مہم… pic.twitter.com/eYXefeYQc8

— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) April 22, 2026

The meeting was told that the number of polio-affected districts had declined from 67 in the first quarter of 2025 to 23 in the first quarter of 2026, while national household coverage during anti-polio campaigns remained consistently high at 98 percent.

Officials highlighted that improved access and strengthened vaccination efforts in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had significantly reduced the number of children missing polio drops. A substantial decline in local transmission of the poliovirus was also recorded in the Quetta Block.

وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیرِ صدارت انسدادِ پولیو پر اہم جائزہ اجلاس

اجلاس کے شرکاء سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے وزیراعظم نے کہا کہ وہ ملک سے پولیو کے موذی مرض کے مکمل خاتمے کے لیے پُرعزم ہیں۔

اجلاس کو بتایا گیا کہ 2024 میں پولیو کے 74 کیسز اور 2025 میں 31 کیسز رپورٹ ہوئے۔ خیبر… pic.twitter.com/cx9obbnrD5

— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) April 22, 2026

In Karachi, encouraging environmental surveillance results showed that poliovirus was not detected in 10 out of 12 environmental samples collected in March. Similarly, no polio case has been reported in Dera Ismail Khan since September 2025, while the number of high-risk union councils in Bannu dropped sharply from 62 to just six.

The meeting was also informed that a strategy is being finalized to integrate the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) with the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) at federal and provincial levels. Efforts are also underway to link certain interventions of the Benazir Income Support Programme with anti-polio measures to further strengthen outreach.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal, Minister of State for National Health Services Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, along with senior officials.