District administrations in Shikarpur and Quetta have completed last-stage preparations for an anti-polio drive that begins on 2 November 2026, with Shikarpur scheduling the campaign through 5 November across the district.
On Friday, meetings at both deputy commissioners’ offices reviewed targets, team deployment and monitoring. Officials stressed that every child under five should receive polio drops—oral vaccine doses that protect against a disease that can cause lifelong paralysis—and that parents, health staff and local administration must work together.
How Shikarpur organised the campaign
In Shikarpur, Deputy Commissioner Dr Sharjeel Noor Channa chaired the session at his office. Additional Deputy Commissioner-I Muhammad Faizan Cheema, assistant commissioners from all talukas, District Health Officer Dr Niaz Ahmed Daher, National STOP Officer Dr Zaheer Ahmed Domki, District Polio Officer Dr Hatim Jamro, District Polio Focal Person Dr Parvez Ahmed Soomro, CCO Mazhar Ali Jamro, DIB In-charge Syed Shah Shah and other health officers attended, according to a press release.
Dr Channa told officials to meet assigned targets and ensure no child is missed. He ordered door-to-door visits for every child under five, and said teams must stay in their designated areas for the full campaign and work with dedication. He described polio as a dangerous disease and said a polio-free Pakistan is a shared duty, asking parents to cooperate fully with vaccination teams.
Quetta’s targets, teams and security
In Quetta, Deputy Commissioner Mehrullah Badini reviewed arrangements for the anti-polio drive starting on Monday, 2 November. The District Health Officer, National EOC (national emergency operations centre for polio) representatives, the district coordinator and other officials attended.
Officials briefed the meeting on campaign targets, security, micro-plans (area-by-area vaccination maps), team deployment and monitoring. They said Quetta aims to give drops to 429,000 children, using 1,600 polio teams backed by 1,800 security personnel to protect vaccinators.
Badini directed that security and operational plans be carried out carefully, that micro-plans for all areas be reviewed, and that teams be monitored consistently. He said children whose parents refuse vaccination—known as refusal cases—must still be covered, and that no area or child should be left out. He asked departments to coordinate under one strategy.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 30 October 2026 (Friday): Deputy commissioners in Shikarpur and Quetta chair meetings to finalise anti-polio drive arrangements.
- 2 November 2026 (Monday): Campaign begins in Quetta; Shikarpur’s district drive also starts.
- 2–5 November 2026: Shikarpur administers the campaign district-wide over four days.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Do November se Shikarpur aur Quetta mein bachon ko polio ke qatre diye jayenge. Shikarpur mein yeh drive 5 November tak chalega. Teams ghar ghar ja kar paanch saal se kam umar ke bachon ko vaccine dengi. Walidain se darkhwast hai ke teams ka saath dein taake koi bacha mehfooz na reh jaye.
