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Polio this week

World Immunization Week 2026 – for every generation, vaccines work!

This week marks World Immunization Week — a global opportunity to highlight the life-saving power of vaccines, including for polio eradication. Partners, civil society and Rotarians around the world are raising awareness and driving action. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell underscored vaccines as one of the greatest life-saving advancements in medicine. Join the movement and help amplify GPEI social media content here.

Further, Faster, Stronger to Zero: Integrating Health Services To Reach Every Last Child

Vaccines alone do not end polio. Trust does. Access does. And showing up with more than one reason to open the door. Integrated health services are helping reach every last child — and bringing the world closer to zero. Read more here.

Across borders and challenges: Pakistan and Afghanistan unite to vaccinate millions of children

From 13 to 19 April, Pakistan launched a nationwide campaign aiming to reach more than 45 million children, while Afghanistan simultaneously rolled out its first nationwide campaign of 2026, targeting 12.6 million children under five. Coordinated efforts across borders remain critical to stopping poliovirus transmission. More.

Summary of new polioviruses this week:

  • Pakistan:  six WPV1-positive environmental samples
  • Chad:  two cVDPV2 cases
  • DR Congo:  one cVDPV2 case
  • Malawi:  one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
  • Nigeria:  one cVDPV2 case and one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
Country updates as of 29 April 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. The total number of cases in 2026 is one (onset of paralysis: 10 February 2026).
  • Six WPV1-positive environmental samples were reported this week, from Balochistan and Sindh, collected on 1 April 2026 (most recent positive environmental samples).

  • Two cVDPV2 cases were reported this week, from Ouaddai and Logone Oriental, with onsets of paralysis on 21 February 2026 and 7 March 2026 (most recent case).  The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2025 is 31.  The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2026 is two.
  • No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week (most recent positive environmental sample:  04 February 2026).
  • No cVDPV3 case was reported this week. The number of cVDPV3 cases for 2025 is four (most recent case: 18 October 2025).

  • No cVDPV1 case was reported this week.  The number of cVDPV1 cases from 2025 is one (onset of paralysis: 25 June 2025).
  • One cVDPV2 case was reported this week, from Maniema with onset of paralysis on 9 March 2026 (most recent case). The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2025 is six.  The number of cVDPV2 cases in 2026 is five.

  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, from Central province, collected on 23 March 2026 (most recent positive environmental sample). 

  • One cVDPV2 case was reported this week, from Zamfara, with onset of paralysis on 20 March 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 14. 
  • One cVDPV2-positive environmental sample was reported this week, from Niger, collected on 6 April 2026 (most recent positive environmental sample).
  • No cVDPV3 cases were reported this week. The total number of cVDPV3 cases reported in 2026 is two (most recent case: 2 February 2026).