A nationwide polio vaccination campaign has officially begun across Pakistan, with millions of children set to receive polio drops in various provinces under strict security and monitoring arrangements.
In Sindh, the seven-day anti-polio campaign was inaugurated by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah at the Government Girls and Boys Secondary School in Chanesar Goth, Karachi, where children under the age of five were administered polio drops. Representatives of the World Health Organization and UNICEF were also present at the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, the Sindh chief minister said that the campaign will continue until February 8 and reiterated that a polio-free Sindh is a shared responsibility. He stated that over 10.5 million children would be vaccinated across the province, with more than 80,000 polio workers conducting door-to-door visits in 30 districts and 1,490 union councils.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza said that the anti-polio campaign is among the top priorities of the government. She praised the dedication of polio workers and urged parents, religious scholars, teachers, and the media to support the campaign.
Meanwhile, a seven-day polio vaccination campaign has also started in Balochistan, where more than 2.6 million children are to be vaccinated by 11,000 teams. Health authorities said no polio case has been reported in the province over the past 15 months.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the first five-day polio campaign of the year has begun, targeting 6.5 million children, with 35,000 vaccination teams and 50,000 police personnel deployed. In Peshawar alone, more than 800,000 children will receive polio drops.
Punjab has also launched its polio campaign, with Rawalpindi starting a four-day drive targeting over one million children, while similar vaccination activities have commenced in Sargodha.
