Environmental monitoring reports show that most districts in Pakistan are now free from the polio virus, indicating important progress in the country’s efforts to eliminate the disease.
Officials said the latest data reflects a clear decline in polio detection across the country. In January 2026, environmental samples from 67 out of 87 districts tested negative, while only 24 out of 127 samples collected nationwide were found positive, marking the lowest level of polio detection since October 2023.
According to officials, all environmental samples taken from Punjab, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan were free of the virus. However, the presence of polio was still confirmed in the districts of Dera Bugti and Kech in Balochistan.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four environmental samples from southern districts tested positive, while in Sindh, most positive samples were reported from Karachi and nearby areas. Officials also shared that four locations in Karachi, where the virus had previously been detected, have now been declared polio-free after a long period.
Authorities stressed that environmental surveillance plays an important role in the early detection of the virus, helping health officials identify risk areas and carry out targeted vaccination campaigns.
Despite the progress, around one million children missed polio vaccination during the recent campaign, mainly due to misinformation spreading on social media. Pakistan still remains among the few countries in the world where polio continues to exist, and health experts say continued vaccination efforts, public awareness, and addressing misinformation are necessary to completely eliminate the disease.
