Polio remains a public health emergency of international concern despite a continued decline in case numbers, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General report presented to the Executive Board.
The report warns that progress toward eradication remains fragile. Some 38 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 had been reported globally by 22 October 2025, down from 62 during the same period in 2024. All cases occurred in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic.
Environmental sampling has continued to detect the virus beyond core transmission areas, including during the low-transmission season, suggesting silent spread even where no clinical cases are immediately visible.
Wild poliovirus type 1 persists in a small number of reservoirs, particularly in southern Afghanistan, and the southern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, the report notes.
In Afghanistan, operational and communication strategies are being adjusted to improve coverage. Supplementary immunization improved markedly in the eastern region in early 2025, contributing to reductions in transmission. Vaccination teams continue to use site-to-site approaches in the south, supported by transit posts and advocacy for house-to-house vaccination to reach missed children.
