The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the number of confirmed polio cases in Afghanistan has risen to six in 2026, following the detection of two new infections in the country.

According to the WHO, one of the newly confirmed cases was identified in Nari district of Kunar province, while the other was reported in Nahr-e-Siraj district of Helmand province. The organization also stated that 34 positive environmental samples of wild poliovirus have been recorded in Afghanistan so far this year.

The report adds that in 2025, a total of 52 wild poliovirus type 1 cases were confirmed across Afghanistan and Pakistan, including 21 cases in Afghanistan and 31 in Pakistan.

WHO further noted that in 2026 so far, nine wild poliovirus type 1 cases have been reported across both countries, with six in Afghanistan and three in Pakistan.