Polio Eradication in Pakistan Enters Final Phase

News Desk

Islamabad: Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, has reaffirmed the government’s firm commitment to completely eradicating polio from Pakistan, stressing that the “last mile” of the fight against the crippling disease is within reach.

Addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, she announced that a nationwide polio vaccination campaign will begin on October 13, targeting over 45 million children under the age of five across the country. During the drive, Vitamin A drops will also be administered to strengthen children’s immunity and protect them from other preventable diseases.

Highlighting progress in the ongoing eradication efforts, Ayesha said the number of missed children has declined from 1.1 million in October 2024 to around 830,000 in May 2025, reflecting improved planning, accountability, and community engagement.

She noted that since September 2024, Pakistan has conducted six polio vaccination campaigns, including three nationwide drives in 2025, each reaching more than 45 million children.

Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister and officials of the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) for their continued leadership, Ayesha emphasized the importance of sustained coordination, joint planning, and unified action to close existing immunity gaps, particularly in high-risk areas such as South Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi, where poliovirus has been detected in environmental samples.

“Ending polio is not just the responsibility of the government or the health programme—it is a shared responsibility of all Pakistanis,” she said. “Every parent, teacher, community elder, and religious leader has a vital role in ensuring that every child receives the vaccine.”

She urged parents to cooperate with health workers, saying, “When vaccinators come to your doorstep, please open your doors. Two drops of the polio vaccine can protect your child from lifelong disability.”

Commending the relentless efforts of over 400,000 frontline workers, including 225,000 female vaccinators, Ayesha hailed them as the true heroes of the mission.

She also called for enhanced monitoring, continued integration between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), and sustained community engagement to eliminate the virus.

National Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), Muhammad Anwar Ul Haq, reaffirmed the government’s full support for the campaign’s success, emphasizing that strong coordination and quality implementation remain crucial to closing immunity gaps and protecting every child from polio.