The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has announced the launch of a massive nationwide polio vaccination drive, aiming to administer oral polio drops to more than 28 million children. Over 240,000 polio workers will take part in the campaign across the country.
In Punjab, over 4.1 million children in seven districts are expected to be vaccinated, though the campaign has been postponed in nine flood-hit districts. In Sindh, more than 8.9 million children across 25 districts will be covered, while in Balochistan, over 2.1 million children in 26 districts will receive the vaccine.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the campaign will target more than 5.7 million children in 27 districts, with efforts in the southern part of the province set to begin formally on September 15. Vaccination drives will also extend to two districts each in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, along with 450,000 children in Islamabad.
The campaign comes as Pakistan continues to battle rising polio cases. So far in 2025, 21 cases have been confirmed — 13 in KP, six in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Authorities stressed the importance of the drive to protect children from lifelong disability and reaffirmed their commitment to eradicating the disease nationwide.
