The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has announced that more than 23.8 million children were reached during the first six days of a sub-national polio vaccination campaign Pakistan launched on November 2. The drive, which targeted approximately 24 million children under the age of five, concluded its final phase on Sunday across 97 selected districts.
According to the NEOC, the initiative involved over 200,000 frontline polio workers who conducted door-to-door visits. This sub-national immunisation campaign is part of a broader strategy to eliminate the virus, which remains a significant public health challenge in the region.
Regional Vaccination Breakdown
The vaccination figures released by the NEOC show extensive coverage across all provinces. In Punjab, more than 9.126 million children received drops in 13 districts, while Sindh saw over 7.019 million children vaccinated in 20 districts. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, teams reached 4.673 million children across 27 districts.
Balochistan reported 2.212 million vaccinations in 31 districts. Additionally, over 450,000 children were reached in Islamabad, 161,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and approximately 192,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. These figures represent a massive logistical effort to ensure no child is left unprotected against the virus.
Cross-Border Coordination
A key feature of this drive was the simultaneous execution of vaccination activities in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Health authorities noted that coordinated regional efforts are essential to stop the transmission of the poliovirus, as the movement of people across the border can facilitate the spread of the disease.
Despite the high coverage rates, the NEOC warned that the threat remains high, noting that Pakistan has recorded nine polio cases so far this year. Officials emphasized that because polio is incurable, repeated vaccination is the only way to prevent lifelong disability. The NEOC urged parents to ensure their children complete routine immunisation schedules and to cooperate with visiting teams.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan mein haal hi mein aik barri polio campaign hui hai jis mein 2 crore 38 lakh se zyada bachon ko drops pilaye gaye hain. Yeh campaign 97 districts mein chali aur iska maqsad bachon ko mazoori se bachana hai. Maa baap ko chahiye ke har baar polio team ka sath dein taake mulk se is beemari ka khatma ho sakay.
