ISLAMABAD: A world without polio is no longer a distant public health dream. Decades of vaccination, international cooperation and the dedication of frontline health workers have brought the disease close to eradication. Yet for children in Pakistan, the threat has not disappeared.
That contrast lies at the heart of World Polio Day 2026, observed on October 24 under the global theme “Make Polio History.” The day celebrates the extraordinary progress made against one of the world’s most feared childhood diseases while reminding governments and communities that the final steps towards eradication remain unfinished.
Pakistan stands at the centre of that challenge. The country has reduced its annual polio cases by 99.8% from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025. But seven cases of wild poliovirus have been reported so far in 2026, showing that even after years of progress, children remain vulnerable.
The latest case involved a six-month-old boy from Karachi East, confirmed on October 19. Five of this year’s seven cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Sindh, according to Pakistan’s polio programme.
For families, these figures are more than a measure of national progress. Polio can permanently paralyse a child, and there is no cure once the disease develops. Vaccination remains the most effective protection.
The message of this year’s observance is therefore especially relevant to Pakistan: the world has come a long way, but the fight cannot be considered over while the virus continues to circulate.
World Polio Day celebrates what the world can achieve together
World Polio Day is an opportunity to recognise the progress made through coordinated vaccination campaigns, surveillance and the work of health professionals, volunteers and communities. It also draws attention to the countries and children still at risk.
When the World Health Assembly launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, wild poliovirus was circulating across more than 125 countries, causing an estimated 350,000 cases annually. Since then, global cases have fallen by more than 99%, and an estimated 20 million people are walking today who might otherwise have been paralysed. More than 1.5 million lives have also been saved through the global effort.
Those gains demonstrate that sustained public health action can change the course of a disease once feared by families around the world.
The Americas, for example, are marking 35 years without a case of wild poliovirus this year. Their experience demonstrates what broad vaccination coverage, strong surveillance and cooperation between countries can achieve. But it also offers a warning: even regions that have eliminated transmission remain vulnerable if the virus is imported into communities where vaccination coverage is inadequate.
The same principle applies to Pakistan. Progress must be protected until transmission is interrupted everywhere.
Pakistan’s progress is real, but seven cases matter
Pakistan’s reduction in polio cases is substantial. From an estimated 20,000 cases annually in the early 1990s, the country recorded 31 in 2025 and seven by October 19, 2026.
The latest cases have been reported in two provinces. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for five, including four from the Bannu division, while Sindh has reported two. The Karachi East case was the city’s first reported polio case since December 2024.
The affected child was six months old and belonged to Union Council Jamali Colony. The case was detected through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institutes of Health in Islamabad. The National Emergency Operations Centre said a comprehensive investigation had been launched.
The case is particularly concerning because it shows that a city can go many months without a reported paralytic case and still face the risk of transmission. Environmental surveillance, which tests sewage for poliovirus, can identify circulation even when no child has yet been diagnosed.
In Karachi, environmental detections had indicated continued vulnerability before the latest case was confirmed. Health authorities have been assessing a science-based response, including targeted vaccination and support for routine immunisation.
A declining case count is an important achievement, but it does not mean the virus has disappeared. As long as poliovirus circulates, children who are not adequately protected remain at risk.
Why polio remains dangerous for children
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus. It primarily affects children under five, although people of any age who are not adequately protected can become infected.
The virus spreads mainly through the faecal–oral route, including when microscopic traces of infected faeces contaminate hands, food or water. Many infected people have no obvious symptoms, allowing the virus to circulate without immediately being recognised.
In some cases, poliovirus invades the nervous system and causes paralysis. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one in every 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those who become paralysed, 5–10% die when the muscles needed for breathing become immobilised.
For a child who survives paralytic polio, the consequences may last a lifetime. Permanent weakness or paralysis can affect mobility, education, independence and everyday activities. Families may face long-term care needs, while children may require rehabilitation and support as they grow.
There is no specific cure for polio. Medical care can help manage complications, but vaccination is the central means of preventing the disease.
That is why the absence of symptoms should never be taken as proof that a child is protected. Vaccination helps prevent infection and reduces the opportunity for the virus to spread through a community.
Vaccination remains the route to a polio-free Pakistan
Pakistan’s eradication effort depends on reaching children repeatedly through vaccination campaigns and ensuring that routine immunisation is not overlooked.
Oral polio vaccine is administered during campaigns, while routine immunisation services provide additional protection according to the recommended schedule. Campaign doses are important opportunities to strengthen immunity, including for children who may have missed previous rounds.
Parents and caregivers should allow vaccination teams to administer the recommended doses and ensure that their children remain up to date with routine immunisation. Receiving drops in an earlier campaign does not mean a child should automatically skip a later round.
Repeated vaccination has protected millions of children around the world. It is also essential to close immunity gaps in communities where poliovirus continues to circulate.
The global experience shows that eradication requires more than the availability of a vaccine. Health authorities must be able to reach every community, identify children who have been missed and respond quickly when surveillance detects the virus.
Nearly 24 million children targeted in Pakistan’s next campaign
Pakistan’s next sub-national polio campaign is scheduled for November 2–8, 2026, across 97 districts. The programme aims to vaccinate more than 23.9 million children under five, including children in all districts of Karachi.
The campaign will follow four nationwide polio campaigns already conducted in 2026, which have protected more than 45 million children multiple times, alongside targeted oral and injectable vaccination activities in high-risk areas.
The scale of the next round reflects the work still required. Vaccination teams must reach children in crowded urban neighbourhoods, remote settlements and communities where insecurity or access difficulties can interrupt services.
In parts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security and access challenges have complicated efforts to reach every child. The concentration of cases in the province, particularly in the Bannu division, underscores why local vaccination gaps need sustained attention.
The Karachi case also reinforces the importance of maintaining protection in major population centres. The presence of the virus in a city with extensive population movement can pose risks beyond the neighbourhood where a case is identified.
The November campaign is therefore not simply another round of drops. It is part of the effort to interrupt transmission, close gaps in immunity and protect children who may otherwise be missed.
World Polio Day recognises Pakistan’s frontline workers
The fight against polio depends on the people who carry vaccines from house to house, often working in difficult conditions to reach families and protect children.
Pakistan’s polio eradication programme has more than 400,000 frontline workers, over 60% of whom are women. Their work includes visiting households, explaining the importance of vaccination, identifying children who have missed doses and helping health authorities reach communities where access is challenging.
On October 23, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative marked World Polio Day with an event at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in Islamabad under the theme “Shukriya Polio Frontline Workers.” More than 100 frontline workers from across the country joined the celebration.
The event was attended by Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination; Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication; and Anwaar-ul-Haq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre, alongside programme representatives, partners and donors.
Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath emphasised the government’s responsibility to safeguard the dignity, safety and security of vaccination workers. Ayesha Raza Farooq recognised their courage and dedication and stressed the need to reach every child who has been missed.
Frontline workers also shared their experiences and challenges during a moderated discussion. Selected workers received certificates and gifts in recognition of their contribution to children’s health.
The recognition is important because vaccination campaigns rely on trust as much as logistics. Workers need safe access to communities, support from local leaders and the cooperation of parents. Families, in turn, need clear and reliable information about why repeated vaccination matters.
The work of these teams often happens far from public attention, one household and one child at a time. Yet their ability to reach children can determine whether a community remains vulnerable or moves closer to protection.
Pakistan, Afghanistan remain central to the global eradication effort
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the world’s last two countries where wild poliovirus transmission remains endemic. Their shared border, cross-border movement and connected patterns of transmission make coordination between the two countries particularly important.
The challenge is not limited to identifying children who develop paralysis. Because many infections produce no obvious symptoms, surveillance systems must also look for evidence of the virus circulating in communities.
Health authorities monitor acute flaccid paralysis—a sudden onset of weakness or loss of muscle strength—as a key warning sign that requires investigation. Environmental surveillance adds another layer by testing sewage samples for poliovirus.
These systems help identify possible transmission and guide vaccination responses. When the virus is detected, rapid investigation and targeted vaccination can help reduce the risk of further spread.
The global effort also shows why countries that have eliminated polio must maintain high vaccination coverage. The Americas’ 35-year record without wild poliovirus is a major achievement, but health authorities continue to warn that imported virus could spread where immunity is inadequate.
Eradication means stopping transmission everywhere. Until that happens, no country can treat the risk as permanently over.
What parents can do this World Polio Day
For parents, the most important step is straightforward: make sure every child receives the recommended polio vaccinations.
Families can help by:
• Welcoming vaccination teams when they visit homes during campaigns.
• Ensuring children receive doses during each recommended campaign, even if they were vaccinated in an earlier round.
• Keeping routine immunisation up to date and consulting qualified health professionals about the schedule.
• Seeking reliable answers to vaccine concerns from trained health workers and trusted medical sources.
• Helping communities reach missed children by sharing accurate information and encouraging families to participate.
Community leaders, teachers, religious leaders and local organisations can also help build trust, counter misinformation and support vaccination teams in reaching every eligible child.
No family should have to face the consequences of a preventable infection because a child missed a vaccine dose or a vaccination team could not reach their community.
The world is closer to victory, but every child still counts
World Polio Day 2026 celebrates one of the most significant achievements in modern public health: a disease that once paralysed hundreds of thousands of people each year has been pushed to the brink of eradication.
But Pakistan’s seven reported cases are a reminder that the final stretch is not guaranteed. The virus can persist where immunity is incomplete, and the progress made over decades depends on continued vaccination and surveillance.
The next campaign, scheduled for November 2–8, will aim to protect nearly 24 million children across 97 districts. Its success will depend on the ability to reach every eligible child, support frontline workers and maintain the confidence of families.
For the parents of a young child, the stakes are immediate and personal. For Pakistan, the task is to ensure that a preventable disease no longer threatens another generation. And for the world, eradication will only be complete when wild poliovirus is no longer circulating anywhere.
The progress is real. So is the remaining risk. Until polio is gone everywhere, every child must remain protected.
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