Nationwide polio campaign kicks off today

ISLAMABAD: A nationwide anti-polio campaign has started today (Monday), to vaccinate more than 30 million children aged five and under.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the special anti-polio campaign for the complete eradication of polio from the country.

He inaugurated the campaign across 115 districts nationwide, aiming to vaccinate 30 million children under the age of five against this debilitating disease.

Under the seven-day anti-polio drive, beginning from today, around 286,000 polio workers will go door-to-door to administer polio drops to children.

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In preparation for this campaign, various district administrations in Sindh have initiated week-long polio vaccination drives, targeting approximately 9.4 million children in 30 districts across the province.

So far this year, Pakistan has reported 17 polio cases, with three of them originating from Sindh. The situation is further complicated by the detection of positive environmental samples in the province, indicating ongoing virus circulation.

Pakistan, alongside Afghanistan, remains one of the last two countries where polio is still endemic. Despite global efforts to eliminate the virus, challenges such as security concerns, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation continue to hinder progress.