The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that with the end of COVID-19 and mpox as public health emergencies of international concern, polio remains the only official global health emergency. 

While presenting his annual report to Member States at the 76th World Health Assembly on Monday (22 May), Ghebreyesus noted after an all-time low of 5 wild poliovirus cases in 2021, there was an increase last year, with 20 cases in Pakistan, two in Afghanistan and eight in Mozambique.

“So far this year, there have been three reported cases of wild polio virus, including one from Pakistan and two from Afghanistan just last week. WHO and our partners remain steadfastly committed to finishing the job of consigning polio to history,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO).

Officials of the National Emergency and Operation Center for Polio Eradication in Afghanistan said that they have started campaigns to eradicate this illness.

"We attempt to follow the recording of new cases. Because in the past, in addition to national campaigns, six regional campaigns were planned each year, and today, with the registration of new instances, we have also prepared three campaigns that are in response to the cases,” said Nik Wali Shah Momen, head of the center.

This year, the districts of Kot and Bati Kot in the province of Nangarhar registered positive instances of polio, and one of these affected children died.