Afghanistan Records 4 New Polio Cases, Total Reaches 19 in 2026

DID Press: World Health Organization (WHO) has reported four new cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Afghanistan, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases since the beginning of 2026 to 19.

According to the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office’s Week 32 report, two of the newly confirmed cases were recorded in the Shindand and Adraskan districts of Herat Province, one in Dila district of Paktika Province, and another in Arghistan district of Kandahar Province.

With the latest cases, the total number of confirmed WPV1 cases in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region this year has reached 22 — 19 in Afghanistan and three in Pakistan.

Afghanistan recorded 21 polio cases in 2025 and 25 cases in 2024, while Pakistan reported 31 and 74 cases respectively during those years.