Nepal ranked first in WHO South-East Asia for polio surveillance in 2025, recording the highest detection rate of suspected cases and strengthening early prevention efforts.
Nepal Verified News
Sat Dec 27 2025
Strong disease monitoring has placed Nepal at the top of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) South-East Asia Region in tracking suspected polio cases in 2025, health authorities said.
Nepal detected 7.1 suspected polio cases per 100,000 population among children under 15, the highest rate among 10 countries in the region. The surveillance was conducted jointly by the WHO and the National Public Health Laboratory, with samples tested in Thailand and no polio cases confirmed so far.
According to Dr Abhiyan Gautam of the Family Welfare Division, 579 suspected cases were identified nationwide, while tests on 40 samples are still pending. WHO requires at least two suspected cases per 100,000 population for effective surveillance, a benchmark Nepal has clearly surpassed.
Nepal was declared polio-free in 2014, with the last case reported in 2010. In regional rankings, Nepal outperformed countries including India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, reflecting strong early detection and prevention efforts.
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