Pakistan tells global watchdog polio eradication is within reach, insecurity in KP remains biggest hurdle

Pakistan informed the global Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) that polio eradication is within reach, with cases declining significantly due to improved strategies, but warned that insecurity in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) remains the biggest obstacle. The country reported a 99.8% reduction in polio cases since the 1990s, with only three cases in 2026 so far, though transmission remains concentrated in insecure areas.