KEY POINTS
- The vaccination campaign will run from December 15 to December 21
- Pakistan has reported 30 of the 39 global cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2025
- Over 400,000 frontline polio workers will participate in the seven-day drive
- Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries, alongside Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch its final nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025 on Monday, targeting more than 45 million children under the age of five, health authorities said, as the country continues to play a central role in global efforts to eradicate the disease.
According to global polio surveillance data, Pakistan has reported 30 of the 39 confirmed cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) recorded worldwide in 2025, with the remaining cases detected in neighboring Afghanistan.
The country recorded 74 polio cases in 2024, marking a sharp rise from six cases in 2023 and just one case in 2021.
The surge underscores ongoing challenges in eradication efforts, including misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and security concerns that have periodically disrupted immunization drives.
The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said the seven-day campaign would run from December 15 to December 21 and would involve administering oral polio drops to children across all provinces and regions.
More than 400,000 male and female frontline polio workers will participate in the drive.
The vaccination campaign aims to cover over 23 million children in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2.6 million in Balochistan, along with smaller numbers in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Emphasising public cooperation, the NEOC said protecting children from polio remains a shared national responsibility and urged parents to ensure that all children under five receive the vaccine during the campaign.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world where poliovirus is still endemic, alongside Afghanistan.
Health experts say that sustained campaigns, strengthened surveillance, and community awareness are crucial to achieving the long-sought goal of a polio-free Pakistan.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis.
The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunizations.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has urged parents, caregivers, public representatives and community leaders to actively support the Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign.
In a statement, she said the success of the campaign depends on collective responsibility and called on families to ensure that every child under five years of age receives polio drops.
