Pakistan sees sharp decline in polio virus detection
Pakistan’s fight against polio is showing encouraging progress, with a significant decline in the detection of the virus in environmental samples during the first six months of 2026.
The latest report from the National Polio Emergency Operation Center indicates that sustained surveillance and eradication efforts are producing positive results across the country.
According to the National Polio Emergency Operation Center’s latest report, the positivity rate of the polio virus in environmental samples fell from 44.1% to 13.1% during the January–June period of 2026.
The report also revealed a sharp decline in the number of positive environmental samples. Between January and June, the number of samples testing positive for the virus decreased from 379 to 100, reflecting substantial progress in Pakistan’s ongoing anti-polio campaign.
June shows encouraging results
As part of routine environmental surveillance, 127 environmental samples were collected from across Pakistan in June.
Of these, 117 samples tested negative for the polio virus, while only 10 samples confirmed the presence of the virus, highlighting a continued downward trend in virus circulation.
