ISLAMABAD: A week-long anti-polio campaign will begin across 79 selected districts of the country from today with authorities aiming to vaccinate nearly 19 million children under the age of five against the crippling disease, officials said on Sunday.
According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), the nationwide campaign will continue until May 24, with thousands of vaccination teams deployed to conduct door-to-door immunisation drives.
In Punjab, around 6.19 million children will receive polio drops in 10 selected districts, while in Sindh the campaign will target approximately 5.79 million children across 20 districts.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities plan to vaccinate 4.61 million children in 23 districts, whereas nearly 1.99 million children will be administered anti-polio drops in 25 districts of Balochistan.
In Islamabad, around 450,000 children below the age of five are expected to be vaccinated during the week-long drive.
The government has also put in place what officials described as “foolproof security arrangements” for polio workers and accompanying personnel involved in the campaign.
Pakistan remains one of the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic, alongside neighbouring Afghanistan.
Health authorities have continued repeated vaccination campaigns amid concerns over virus transmission in high-risk districts and challenges posed by vaccine hesitancy, population movement and security threats targeting polio teams.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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