Pakistan’s polio cases down 99.8% from 1990s levels, president says
Pakistan has cut polio cases by 99.8% since the early 1990s, from an estimated 20,000 a year to 31 in 2025, President Zardari said on World Polio Day
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President Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday that Pakistan has cut polio cases by 99.8% from early 1990s levels, as the country marked World Polio Day. Cases fell from an estimated 20,000 a year to 31 in 2025, according to a statement from the president’s office.
How many polio cases has Pakistan reported in 2026?
The president’s office said five cases have been reported so far in 2026, while Pakistan Television, citing End Polio Pakistan data, reported three confirmed cases. Pakistan recorded 31 cases in 2025, spread across 15 districts, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.
The state-run broadcaster said this year’s three confirmed cases were reported in Bannu and North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Sujawal in Sindh. Isolated cases were also recorded last year in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
How has Pakistan reduced polio cases since the 1990s?
The 99.8% reduction compares current figures with the estimated annual caseload in the early 1990s. It is not a year-on-year decline. Pakistan launched its nationwide polio vaccination campaign in 1994 under then-prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT ASIF ALI ZARDARI ON WORLD POLIO DAY (24 OCTOBER 2026)On World Polio Day, I call upon all Pakistanis to continue working towards a polio-free Pakistan. Protecting every child from this preventable disease requires sustained efforts by the Government, health workers, parents and communities across the country.Pakistan has made significant progress towards polio eradication. The number of cases has fallen by 99.8%, from an estimated 20,000 cases annually in the early 1990s to 31 cases in 2025 and five so far in 2026.This progress reflects the sustained efforts of the Government, frontline health workers, parents, communities and development partners. Their continued cooperation is essential to protecting children and ensuring that vaccination reaches every part of the country.Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio have a long history. In 1994, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto launched the country’s first nationwide polio vaccination campaign and personally administered polio drops to her daughter, Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari.I pay tribute to the more than 400,000 frontline polio workers, 60 per cent of whom are women, who serve communities across Pakistan. Their dedication and courage are central to the effort to eradicate this disease. They must be supported in reaching every child, including those who are missed during vaccination campaigns.I urge all parents and caregivers to ensure that every child under five receives two drops during each polio campaign. Routine immunisation must also remain a priority to protect children against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.I call upon community representatives, religious and political leaders, civil society, the media and development partners to continue supporting polio eradication efforts and encourage parents to have their children vaccinated.We must sustain these efforts until every child in Pakistan is protected against polio and the country achieves its goal of a polio-free future.⸻
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 23, 2026
Zardari credited sustained vaccination efforts involving government agencies, communities and development partners. He highlighted the role of more than 400,000 frontline polio workers, 60% of whom are women.
Zardari urged parents and caregivers to ensure children under five receive polio drops during each campaign. He said routine immunization was also essential to protect them against preventable diseases.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradication, saying vaccination efforts would continue until polio was eliminated. This year’s World Polio Day theme is “One Day, One Focus: Ending Polio”, Radio Pakistan reported.
Is polio still present in Pakistan?
Despite the sharp long-term decline, polio transmission has not been eliminated. Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only countries where wild poliovirus is endemic, making continued vaccination and surveillance crucial to stopping transmission.
Pakistan is due to launch its next sub-national vaccination campaign from November 2 to 8, targeting vulnerable areas and children who may have missed earlier doses.
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