Ratio of samples containing poliovirus drops from 48.1 to 13.1 percent

The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) on Thursday said that the ratio of environmental samples containing poliovirus during the first six months of the ongoing year has dropped from 48.1 per cent to 13.1 per cent, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Giving details, the NEOC said that 127 environmental samples were collected from across the country in June, 2026. “Out of these 127 samples, only 10 carried the virus while the remaining 117 did not,” it said, adding that the number of samples containing the virus dropped from 369 to 100 between January 2026 and June 2026.

The Center further said that not a single sample collected from Punjab during this period contained the virus, while in Sindh, only one, out of a total of 29 samples, carried the virus.

Similarly, it went on to add, 30 out of 34 samples, collected from KP, did not contain the virus, while in Balochistan, 18, out of total 23 samples, were virus free.

The NEOC said that in 2026, only three children had tested positive for the virus in Pakistan so far. 

The Center said that vaccination coverage and access will be increased so that more and more number of children could be protected from the disease. 

It urged parents to ensure that their kids, under five years of age, were administered polio drops.

It also appealed to parents, community leaders, religious scholars and doctors to become part of the campaign. “Polio workers are our heroes. Welcome them to your homes,” the NEOC appealed.

Reporter: Babar Shahzad Turk