THE latest polio surveillance figures offer some encouraging news regarding the difficult fight against polio. The rate of environmental samples testing positive for the virus fell sharply in the first half of 2026 — from 48.1pc in the same period last year to 13.1pc this year. Punjab reported no positive samples in June, while Sindh recorded just one. That the number of positive environmental samples nationwide dropped from 369 last year to 100 marks a genuine turnaround, and those responsible deserve credit. The National Emergency Operations Centre has attributed the decline to sharper vaccination coverage, tighter surveillance and new operational strategies, including external audits, better team selection and enhanced training. Clearly, those were not merely words on paper: when an independent audit exposed weaknesses in a Karachi immunisation drive, fresh teams were deployed with the provincial administration’s support. This kind of an evidence-led, accountable approach would have strengthened previous campaigns, whose success was often undercut by ghost workers, poor data and complacency.

But the optimism must be tempered. Pakistan has still recorded three wild poliovirus cases this year, and the continued presence of the virus in sewage samples signals that there remains a heightened transmission risk in under-immunised areas. Karachi’s dense population and weak routine immunisation, along with access problems in southern KP remain major obstacles. Most worryingly, experts are warning that cross-border movement from Afghanistan continues to reintroduce the virus. This last point demands serious reflection. As long as the virus circulates freely across the western border, Pakistan’s gains will remain short-lived. It appears that eradication cannot be achieved by Islamabad alone and will require Kabul’s support, perhaps through coordinated immunisation drives in both countries. This could prove a real logistical and diplomatic challenge, but the last mile is always the hardest to overcome.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2026