Pakistan steps up push to end polio with second nationwide campaign

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday launched its second nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year, aiming to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five across the country.

During the campaign, which will last until April 19, over 400,000 frontline health workers will go door to door across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad, ensuring that every child is vaccinated, including those in the most remote and high-risk areas.

Vitamin A supplements will also be administered during the campaign to help strengthen children’s overall health and immunity. The drive is being carried out in coordination with Afghanistan as part of joint efforts to curb the cross-border spread of the virus.

According to the head of the polio programme, Anwarul Haq, Pakistan has made significant progress. In 2026, the poliovirus has been detected in 23 of 87 districts, compared to 82 districts in 2025. The number of positive environmental samples has also dropped sharply, from 651 in 2025 to 40 so far in 2026.

Despite this progress, challenges remain. Pakistan reported 31 polio cases in 2025, while one case has been confirmed so far in 2026 from Sujawal, Sindh. These cases serve as a reminder that as long as the virus persists anywhere, children in Pakistan remain at risk.

The Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq said, “Pakistan is closer than ever to ending polio”, but stressed that this is also the most critical stage of the effort. She noted that polio causes lifelong disability and has no cure, but is entirely preventable.

The campaign, she added, aims to ensure every child under the age of five receives two drops of the vaccine to close remaining immunity gaps and bring the country closer to the finish line.

“Protecting every child through vaccination is the safest and most effective way to stop the virus. The government urges all parents and caregivers to support vaccination teams and ensure every child under five receives polio drops during this and every campaign,” she said.

Yesterday, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari also called on families and communities across Pakistan to fully cooperate with the nationwide polio vaccination campaign to ensure that every child is protected from the crippling disease.

Pakistan, she said, stood at a “critical juncture” in its fight against the virus. “Years of sustained effort have brought the country closer to eradication, with the coming phase representing the final stretch where reaching every child is essential,” she stated.