WHO warns of persistent polio risk as Afghanistan remains one of two endemic countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) has once again classified the global spread of poliovirus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the disease remains endemic in only two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The decision followed the 43rd meeting of the Polio Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR), which convened on 1 October 2025.

According to the Committee, Afghanistan reported four new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases so far this year, compared to 24 in Pakistan. The Afghan cases were detected in the country’s southern and eastern regions, where transmission remains intense despite ongoing vaccination efforts.

Environmental surveillance found 53 WPV1-positive samples in Afghanistan and 390 in Pakistan, underscoring continued circulation along the shared epidemiological corridors between the two countries.

The Committee expressed concern that Afghanistan’s site-to-site vaccination strategy, introduced after the suspension of house-to-house campaigns in October 2024 due to security concerns, leaves many children unreached and vulnerable.

The WHO report noted that Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to conduct synchronized immunization campaigns to interrupt cross-border transmission. However, challenges persist due to insecurity, vaccine hesitancy, and large-scale population movements — including the return of undocumented Afghan migrants from Pakistan.

The Committee commended both countries for maintaining strong coordination but stressed that eradication will require high-quality vaccination coverage in all border areas.

Globally, the Committee also reviewed outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs), with 143 cases recorded so far in 2025, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. Although progress toward eradication has been steady, the Committee warned that operational gaps, insecurity, and funding shortfalls could reverse gains made over the past decade.

The WHO urged Afghanistan to resume house-to-house vaccination where possible and to sustain coordination with Pakistan. It also called on donor governments to address the programme’s nearly 30% funding shortfall, warning that financial constraints threaten global eradication efforts.

The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains high, but determined that the situation does not constitute a pandemic emergency.

The temporary recommendations — including vaccination requirements for travelers from Afghanistan and Pakistan — have been extended for another three months.