Countries expressed concern at an uptick in polio cases last year and discussed ways to double down on routine immunizations – interrupted by the pandemic and conflicts – at Thursday’s World Health Assembly. Polio is currently the only official global public health emergency. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last two remaining countries where the virus is endemic, WHO has said. In 2022, Afghanistan reported two new cases while Pakistan reported 20. Pakistan which has also reported a new case in 2023, said it, “continues to make consistent progress towards stopping the transmission of poliovirus.”