Shafaqna Pakistan: Pakistan will launch its second nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2026 from April 13 to April 19, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) announced on Monday, aiming to vaccinate 4.5 million children under the age of five.
The country, which carried out its first nationwide campaign in February, has reduced polio cases by 99.8 percent—dropping from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025, according to NEOC data.
The NEOC said around 413,000 polio workers will take part in the campaign, administering vaccines across the country.
In addition to polio drops, children will also receive Vitamin A supplements during the campaign.
Health authorities aim to vaccinate over 23 million children in Punjab, over 16 million in Sindh, over 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over 2.6 million in Balochistan, more than 460,000 in Islamabad, over 228,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and more than 760,000 children in Azad Jammu and Kashmir during the upcoming drive.
“It is the national responsibility of every individual to protect the future of the nation from polio,” the NEOC said, urging parents and caretakers to open their doors to vaccinators during the upcoming campaign.
Source: Dunya News
