Pakistan reported a drop in polio cases to 30 in 2025 from 74 in 2024 after a nationwide campaign that targeted 45 million children. Authorities say the latest drive reached over 98% of the target population and no new infections have been reported since September 2025. Persistent transmission in a few hard-to-reach areas and repeated militant attacks — which have killed more than 200 vaccinators and police since the 1990s — mean eradication remains fragile.
Pakistan Cuts Polio Cases By More Than Half In 2025 Despite Deadly Attacks On Vaccinators
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a neighbourhood in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
Pakistan reported a sharp decline in polio cases in 2025, recording 30 cases compared with 74 the previous year, the government-run Polio Eradication Initiative said. The announcement followed the country’s final nationwide vaccination campaign of the year, which targeted 45 million children.
Progress And Ongoing Risks
Anwarul Haq, coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, told The Associated Press that no new infections have been reported since September 2025, and he attributed the decline to vaccination rounds conducted throughout the year. Haq also said Pakistan will begin its first national anti-polio drive of the new year in the first week of February.
Health officials say vaccine coverage has improved: authorities reported that the most recent campaign reached more than 98% of the target population. Yet persistent transmission in a small number of hard-to-reach areas leaves the country vulnerable to setbacks unless immunization efforts continue unabated.
Security Challenges
Access problems and security threats continue, particularly in parts of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where health workers have faced resistance and constraints. Militants have repeatedly attacked vaccination teams and the police protecting them, propagating false claims that immunization campaigns are part of a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children.
Authorities say more than 200 polio workers and police officers assigned to guard them have been killed in attacks since the 1990s. Thousands of police officers are deployed during campaigns following intelligence warnings of possible attacks.
Global Context
According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio has not been eradicated. Pakistan’s recent progress is a positive sign for global eradication efforts, but experts warn that sustained vaccination, improved access in insecure areas and continued security measures are essential to prevent resurgence.
What’s next: Officials plan a national vaccination drive in early February aimed at maintaining momentum and reaching children in remaining high-risk areas.
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