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KARACHI: Pakistan on Monday launched a week-long nationwide polio vaccination campaign to immunize more than 45 million children under five, as authorities race to eliminate the paralytic disease that continues to threaten one of the world’s last remaining endemic countries.

Led by the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) under the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative, the campaign will cover 159 districts across the country from October 13 to 19, while vaccination in seven districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will take place from October 20 to 23. Alongside the oral polio vaccine, children will receive Vitamin A drops to strengthen immunity.

Officials said more than 400,000 trained vaccinators have been mobilized to reach every household and administer the drops at doorsteps. This is the fourth national polio campaign of 2025, with the government aiming to protect children from a disease that can cause lifelong paralysis.

Since Pakistan launched its eradication program in 1994, systematic house-to-house campaigns have reduced annual polio cases by 99.6 percent, from an estimated 20,000 each year to 74 cases in 2024 and 29 so far in 2025, according to official data.

The new campaign comes amid a resurgence of poliovirus, with infections reported in multiple provinces. Health authorities say recent flooding and population displacement have disrupted sanitation systems and health services, heightening the risk of transmission through stagnant water and mobile populations.

“We have continued to make progress, with detections declining overall in the country since last year, but our work is far from over — especially now, when the risk of further spread is high in the aftermath of recent flooding,” said Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication. 

“Protecting children from polio is a shared responsibility, and I urge all parents and caregivers to open their doors to vaccinators and ensure their children receive the lifesaving drops that protect them from a lifelong, paralyzing disease.”

The NEOC said the campaign reflects Pakistan’s “continued commitment to achieving a polio-free future” through nationwide mobilization and global partnerships. 

The initiative aims to reach 23.3 million children in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2.6 million in Balochistan, 700,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 200,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 400,000 in Islamabad.

To assist parents and caregivers, the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline (1166) and 24/7 WhatsApp Helpline (0346-7776546) remain active for reporting missed children and seeking information on vaccination schedules.

Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, remains among the only two countries in the world where the wild poliovirus continues to circulate, despite decades of progress and international support. Health officials say sustained efforts are critical to ensuring that no child is left unprotected.