Polio This Week | GPEI | Most Recent News | Countries
Polio this week

Headlines

Celebrating International Women’s Day and special webinar

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative celebrates the incredible women who are leading the way towards a polio-free future.  From leading programmes, organizing campaigns, educating families, testing samples and delivering vaccines, their work is essential to all aspects of the polio programme.  As part of this, please join a special International Women’s Day webinar on Monday 9 March 2026, 2:00-3:30 p.m. Central European Time, on ‘Women Pioneers in Polio Eradication’, organized by the GPEI Gender Mainstreaming Group.  During this virtual dialogue, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the different roles women play to support eradication efforts, hear about the impactful work happening on the ground, and identify best practices for engaging women to help boost uptake of the polio vaccine. Please register here and join the Zoom link here at the time of the webinar.

Impact of current regional situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan on polio eradication efforts

Any escalation of conflict brings insecurity and humanitarian consequences and risks for affected populations. The deteriorating security situations in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as areas of the Gulf, is deeply concerning — particularly for children, whose health and access to essential services are often the first to be disrupted.  At present, the evolving regional tensions have not directly impacted polio eradication operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The programmes remain operational, and preparations for upcoming supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) in April, are continuing. The situation is being closely monitored in coordination with national authorities and partners.  We acknowledge the dedication of health workers and frontline colleagues who continue their work under extremely challenging and, at times, perilous conditions. Their safety and well-being remain a priority, with the full support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Cross-border cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan polio eradication programmes continues through established mechanisms, recognizing that poliovirus does not respect borders.  While recent border closures have affected certain operational aspects — including shipment of environmental and stool samples from Afghanistan to the Regional Reference Laboratory in Islamabad — alternative air shipment modalities are currently in use, and longer-term solutions are being explored. Sustained and focused efforts to strengthen population immunity, maintain high surveillance sensitivity and reinforce coordination are essential to consolidate the gains achieved in 2025 and ultimately interrupt WPV1 transmission in this epidemiological block.

Summary of new polioviruses this week: 

  • Pakistan:  two WPV1-positive environmental samples
  • Chad:  one cVDPV2 case
  • Malawi:  one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
  • Nigeria:  four cVDVP2 cases
  • Somalia:  one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
Country updates as of 04 March 2026

More information on the countries that have reported cases and/or environmental samples this week.

  • No WPV1 case was reported this week.  The total number of cases in 2025 is 31 (most recent case:  onset of paralysis on 14 December 2025). 
  • Two WPV1-positive environmental samples were reported this week, collected on 3 February 2026, from Quetta, Balochistan (most recent positive environmental samples).

  • No cVDPV1 case was reported this week.  In 2025, one cVDPV1 case was reported (onset of paralysis on 25 January 2025). 
  • No cVDPV1-positive environmental sample was reported this week (most recent positive environmental sample:  17 March 2025).
  • No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week (most recent positive environmental sample:  11 January 2026).

  • One cVDPV2 case was reported this week, from Logone Oriental, with onset of paralysis on 7 December 2025 (most recent case).  The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2025 is 31.
  • No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week (most recent positive environmental sample: 09 December 2025).
  • No cVDPV3 case was reported this week. The number of cVDPV3 cases for 2025 is four (most recent case:  18 October 2025).

  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, from Southern province, collected on 19 January 2026 (most recent positive environmental sample). 

  • Four cVDPV2 cases were reported this week, from Kebbi and Zamfara, with onsets of paralysis between 1 January 2026 and 2 February 2026 (most recent case).  The total number of cVDPV2 cases reported in 2025 is 66.  The total number of cVDPV2 cases reported in 2026 is seven.
  • No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week (most recent positive environmental sample:  27 January 2026).
  • No cVDPV3 case was reported this week.  The total number of cVDPV3 cases reported in 2025 is five.  The total number of cVDPV3 cases reported in 2026 is one (most recent case:  onset of paralysis on 3 January 2026).

  • No cVDPV2 case was reported this week.  There is one case reported in 2026 (onset of paralysis:  3 January 2026).  There have been two cases reported in 2025. 
  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, from Banadir, collected on 21 January 2026 (most recent positive environmental sample).