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.
Provincial breakdown
The report provides a province-wise breakdown of June's surveillance results.
In Punjab, all 31 environmental samples tested negative for the polio virus, marking a significant achievement for the province.
In Sindh, 28 out of 39 samples tested negative, while 30 out of 34 samples collected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also negative.
Meanwhile, 18 out of 23 environmental samples collected in Balochistan tested negative for the virus.
Three polio cases reported in 2026
Despite the encouraging decline in environmental detection, the report states that three polio cases have been reported across Pakistan so far in 2026.
Health authorities continue to monitor environmental samples closely as part of the country's polio eradication strategy, with surveillance remaining a key tool in identifying and containing the virus.
