Pakistan Launches Nationwide Polio Eradication Campaign

Islamabad: Pakistan has formally launched a new nationwide polio eradication campaign today, aiming to protect more than 45 million children under the age of five from the crippling disease.
During the campaign, over 400,000 polio workers will go door to door across the country to administer polio drops to eligible children. Authorities have put in place special security and monitoring arrangements to ensure the smooth and effective execution of the drive.
Officials stated that Pakistan has made significant progress in the fight against polio in recent years; however, they emphasized that full cooperation from parents remains crucial for the complete elimination of the virus.
According to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), more than 23 million children will be vaccinated in Punjab, while over 10.6 million children will receive polio drops in Sindh. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the target is over 7.2 million children, and 2.6 million children will be vaccinated in Balochistan.
In Islamabad, more than 460,000 children will be covered under the campaign, while 228,000 children will be vaccinated in Gilgit-Baltistan. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the campaign aims to reach over 760,000 children.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, said that 31 polio cases were reported last year, with the majority from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She added that while challenges persist in some areas of Karachi, no polio case has been reported from Balochistan for the past 14 months, which she termed an encouraging sign.
Health authorities reiterated their call to parents to ensure that their children receive polio drops during the campaign to help secure a polio-free Pakistan.