Islamabad, October 13, 2025 — A Nationwide Polio Drive kicks off today across 159 districts, aiming to immunize 45 million children under five, with supplementary Vitamin A drops to enhance immunity.
The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) announced that the drive will run from October 13 to 19, while Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will hold its campaign separately from October 20 to 23 to ensure full coverage.
Despite persistent efforts, approximately 830,000 children are missed in every Nationwide Polio Drive. Last year, the figure was over 1.1 million, but has since reduced due to intensified coordination and planning, according to Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq warmly welcomed H.E. Olyntho Vieira, Ambassador of Brazil to Pakistan at the National EOC.
Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq expressed her profound gratitude for Brazil’s generous donation of 1.6 million doses of… pic.twitter.com/IRWw6FJbvQ— Pak Fights Polio (@PakFightsPolio) September 23, 2025
More than 400,000 frontline workers, including 225,000 female vaccinators, will go door-to-door across all provinces and territories, including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
A polio programme official said the recent flooding, poor sanitation, and population displacement have significantly raised the risk of virus transmission, making this campaign especially urgent.
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In Balochistan, over 2.66 million children will be vaccinated. EOC Coordinator Inamul Haq said 11,144 teams have been mobilized, including 825 fixed and 476 transit teams.
He warned that poliovirus remains active in Balochistan’s environment, posing a serious health threat to children.
Haq urged parents, religious leaders, and community stakeholders to ensure that no child is left behind. “Polio causes lifelong, irreversible paralysis — vaccination is the only protection,” he stressed.
