Pakistan's polio cases fell by half in 2025 despite attacks on vaccination teamsOfficials say Pakistan has seen polio cases fall by more than half in 2025ByMUNIR AHMED Associated PressDecember 31, 2025, 2:57 AMISLAMABAD -- Pakistan reported fewer than half as many cases of polio in 2025 than the previous year, a sign of progress in its eradication campaign even as vaccinators faced repeated militant attacks, according to a statement from the government-run Polio Eradication Initiative. The announcement came two weeks after Pakistan launched its final nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year, targeting 45 million children. Anwarul Haq, who is the coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, told The Associated Press that authorities reported 30 cases of the potentially paralyzing disease in 2025, down from 74 a year earlier. Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two countries in which polio has not been eradicated, according to the World Health Organization. Pakistan’s latest figures highlight both momentum and lingering risks in a campaign that has spanned decades. While vaccination coverage has improved and reported cases have fallen sharply, health officials say continued transmission in a small number of hard-to-reach areas means the country remains vulnerable to setbacks unless immunization efforts are sustained. Haq said Pakistan will launch its first anti-polio drive of the new year in the first week of February.
