Fears of Pak-Afghan hostilities causing spike in polio cases as majority of environmental samples test negative

ISLAMABAD: Data from Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme shows that a majority of the environmental samples for poliovirus, which causes the crippling disease, collected during the first two months of 2026 have tested negative. Moreover, a comparison of the first two months of 2025 with the current year shows a more than threefold reduction in positive environmental samples. However, ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions could create an opportunity for the virus to rebound during the upcom...

By none@none.com (Ikram Junaidi)