Spokesman Report
Islamabad: World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, has reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s intensified efforts to eliminate wild poliovirus, describing the next 6 to 12 months as critical for interrupting transmission. Speaking during a high-level visit with the Polio Oversight Board (POB), she said Pakistan has a genuine opportunity to eradicate polio through stronger vaccination campaigns, enhanced surveillance, routine immunization, and closer cross-border cooperation with Afghanistan.
Dr. Balkhy praised Pakistan’s leadership, noting that the country has reported only three polio cases in 2026, with transmission largely confined to southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The delegation met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, senior government officials, and frontline polio workers, commending the dedication of over 400,000 vaccinators, 60 per cent of whom are women.
The WHO official stressed that Pakistan and Afghanistan, the world’s last two polio-endemic countries, must work together to stop transmission. She also emphasized strengthening routine immunization to ensure the virus does not return. The Polio Oversight Board reaffirmed its support for Pakistan’s goal of achieving a polio-free future through sustained government commitment and coordinated international partnership.
