ISLAMABAD: First Lady, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has urged parents, caregivers, public representatives and community leaders to actively support the December Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign, scheduled from 15 to 21 December 2025 across all provinces and regions of the country.
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. The campaign aims to vaccinate 45.4 million children nationwide, including 23.3 million in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.3 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2.66 million in Balochistan, with the remaining children covered in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory. The drive is being conducted in coordination with Afghanistan’s December polio campaign to curb cross-border virus transmission.
Recalling the legacy of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, she said Pakistan’s first nationwide polio eradication campaign was launched under her leadership in 1994 and that her vision continues to guide national efforts to eliminate the disease. She shared that she feels a deep personal connection to the cause, remembering that her mother, as Prime Minister, personally administered the first polio drops to her. She said that moment marked the beginning of Pakistan’s national fight against polio and shaped her lifelong commitment to this effort.
She shared that the campaign will follow a three-day house-to-house vaccination drive with one catch-up day. In high-risk areas implementing Community-Based Vaccination and Special Mobile Team strategies, a five-day campaign will be conducted with two additional catch-up days. A total of 408,484 frontline polio workers, including Area In-charges, Union Council Medical Officers and mobile, fixed and transit teams, have been deployed across the country.
Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari also called upon elected representatives, local government officials, religious leaders and community elders to stand with polio teams, facilitate access to communities and help counter misinformation and hesitancy. She noted that campaign preparedness was reviewed at the national level during a readiness meeting chaired by the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination on 11 December, alongside Provincial Task Force meetings led by Chief Secretaries to ensure security, logistics, workforce readiness and coordination. The campaign has been formally launched in all provinces, with National and Provincial Emergency Operations Centres deploying technical experts in high-risk areas for close supervision and real-time support.
Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari urged citizens to welcome vaccinators, report missed children and support frontline workers, saying that only united action can stop this virus and protect the future of Pakistan’s children.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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