Polio is a disease most Indian parents under 40 have never seen up close. Our neighbourhood tells a different story. As the world marked World Polio Day on October 24, fresh numbers showed the virus is not fading quietly. In one of the last two countries where it still circulates, it is spreading faster.
Afghanistan has confirmed 42 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 so far in 2026, according to figures from the World Health Organization and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). That is double the 21 cases it reported in all of 2025. Pakistan, the only other country where wild polio has never been stopped, has recorded six cases this year, down from 31 last year.
Quick Facts
- What: World Polio Day 2026, with wild polio still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- When: Observed on October 24, 2026; latest WHO case data runs to October 18
- Where: Afghanistan (42 cases) and Pakistan (6 cases)
- Key number: 48 wild polio cases worldwide in 2026 so far, all in these two countries
- Latest cases: Six new Afghan cases: three in Kandahar, two in Nangarhar and one in Kabul
Afghanistan Polio Cases Double in 2026
The rise in Afghanistan is steep. Afghan outlet Amu TV, citing WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean regional office, reported the country had just six cases in 2023 and two in 2022. This year’s count is seven times the 2023 figure.
The six newest cases came from Kandahar in the south, the Batikot and Goshta districts of Nangarhar in the east, and Musahi district in Kabul province. Southern Afghanistan has long been one of the hardest places to stop the virus.
Every one of these cases is wild poliovirus type 1. Types 2 and 3 have already been declared eradicated worldwide. So the global fight now comes down to one strain, in one border region.
Why Polio Still Survives in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Experts point to a few overlapping reasons, and the biggest one is how children are reached.
No door-to-door drives. Taliban authorities restricted house-to-house polio vaccination in September 2024. WHO says no house-to-house campaigns have taken place since October 2024. Instead, drops are given at fixed sites such as mosques. In August, WHO’s Polio Emergency Committee said this change had lowered the quality of coverage, especially in the south, because site-based drives often miss children, particularly the youngest. It urged Afghanistan to consider bringing back house-to-house vaccination across the country.
People on the move. Afghan health authorities have linked the jump in cases to the large-scale return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, where the virus is still circulating, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. Polio spreads easily as people travel, which is why one country’s problem quickly becomes its neighbour’s.
Weak health basics. Malnutrition, security problems that disrupt campaigns, and low awareness among some families have also been cited by former health officials and aid workers quoted in regional reports.
Sewage testing shows the virus is wider than the case count suggests. Reports citing WHO data say 176 environmental samples had tested positive by mid-August, 118 of them in Pakistan and 58 in Afghanistan. A positive sewage sample means the virus is circulating in a community even when no child has yet been paralysed.
Pakistan’s Drop: Good News With a Caveat
Pakistan going from 31 cases in 2025 to six in 2026 is real progress. But low case numbers alone do not mean the job is done. With positive sewage samples still turning up, health agencies treat the virus as active there, and the shared border means gains on one side can be undone by spread from the other.
What It Means for India’s Polio-Free Status
India was certified polio-free by WHO in 2014, after its last wild polio case in 2011. For a country once seen as one of the hardest places to beat the disease, it remains one of public health’s big wins, built largely on the Pulse Polio campaigns that sent vaccinators to homes, railway stations and bus stands.
That status has to be protected every year. As long as the virus survives anywhere, it can travel. Several Indian outlets marking World Polio Day this year carried the same message from doctors: polio may be out of sight in India, but children still need every dose.
The rest of the world is watching the same risk. The Americas reported their last wild polio case in 1991 and were certified polio-free in 1994, the Pan American Health Organization said on World Polio Day, while stressing that vaccination, detection and response must continue. WHO has warned that if eradication fails, polio could bounce back to as many as 200,000 cases a year worldwide within a decade.
What We Don’t Know Yet
- Whether Afghanistan will bring back house-to-house vaccination, as WHO’s emergency committee suggested.
- How many more cases will be confirmed before year-end. Case reports often lag weeks behind infections.
- Updated 2026 sewage-sample totals beyond the mid-August figures.
What This Means for You
- Check your child’s vaccination card. Polio vaccines are part of India’s routine immunisation schedule. If you’re unsure whether a dose was missed, ask your paediatrician or the nearest government health centre.
- Don’t skip Pulse Polio drives. Extra drops during campaigns add protection; they are not a replacement for routine doses, and routine doses are not a reason to skip them.
- Planning travel? Some countries have polio-related vaccination rules for travellers. Check official advisories and consult a doctor before you go.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor about your family’s specific needs.
Our Take
The world has cut polio by around 99% in three decades, so it’s tempting to call it finished. Afghanistan’s numbers show how fast that can slip when vaccinators can’t knock on doors. For India, the lesson is simple and a little uncomfortable: the hard part was beating polio, but the boring part, giving every child every dose every year, is what keeps it beaten.
FAQs
When is World Polio Day 2026?
World Polio Day is observed every year on October 24. In 2026, it fell on a Saturday.
Which countries still have polio in 2026?
Only Afghanistan and Pakistan still have endemic wild poliovirus. Together they have reported 48 cases in 2026 up to October 18, per WHO data.
How many polio cases has Afghanistan reported in 2026?
Afghanistan has confirmed 42 wild polio cases so far in 2026, double its total of 21 for 2025, according to WHO and GPEI figures.
Is India polio-free?
Yes. WHO certified India polio-free in 2014, and its last wild polio case was in 2011. Doctors say continued vaccination is needed to keep it that way.
Why are polio drops still given in India?
Because the virus still circulates in neighbouring countries and can be carried across borders. High vaccination coverage stops it from taking hold again if it arrives.
For the latest global case counts, see the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Based on reporting by Amu TV, Xinhua, Time News and the Pan American Health Organization.
Leave a Reply