WHO Admits Afghanistan is Better at Controlling Polio Than Pakistan

While the global focus remains on Pakistan and Afghanistan—the only two countries still reporting polio cases—the situation in war-torn Afghanistan appears better than in Pakistan.

According to statistics, Afghanistan recorded 25 polio cases in 2024, whereas Pakistan reported 68 cases, with additional test results from collected samples still pending.

A senior official from Pakistan’s Polio Programme suggested that Pakistan’s comprehensive reporting system might explain the higher numbers. Unlike Afghanistan, where underreporting is suspected, Pakistan ensures every case is documented and tested. “Pakistan follows a policy of transparency, and every union council sends samples of paralyzed children, which leads to thousands of tests annually,” the official noted.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the situation and formed a new team, including Ayesha Raza Farooq as his focal person for polio eradication and Anwarul Haq as the national coordinator, to address the crisis.

A Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) report dated December 26 highlights stark differences between the two countries. In Pakistan, 591 environmental samples from 106 sites tested positive for the virus, compared to 100 positive samples from 24 sites in Afghanistan. Moreover, while polio has spread to 83 districts in Pakistan, it is confined to 11 provinces in Afghanistan.

The report also shows disparities in vaccination coverage. In Afghanistan, 16% of infected children had not received a single dose of the oral polio vaccine (OPV), compared to 12% in Pakistan. Pakistan’s population under five years of age is 45.4 million, much larger than Afghanistan’s 11.2 million, and both countries conducted nine vaccination campaigns in 2024.

Officials acknowledged Pakistan’s ongoing challenges, citing the long history of the polio program since 1994. Security issues, particularly in former FATA, Karachi, and Peshawar, have created inaccessible areas, enabling the virus to persist.

Pakistan has recently begun mapping areas with high vaccine refusal rates, aiming for improvement in the coming year. However, officials admit the journey to polio eradication has been fraught with setbacks.

“Despite nearing the finish line on several occasions, unforeseen challenges—such as the implications of the war on terror—reversed progress. Inaccessibility to vulnerable children and immunity gaps allowed the virus to resurge, paralyzing hundreds once again,” an official stated.

Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio have been a challenging journey, but authorities remain determined to overcome obstacles and eliminate the disease.