ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan will launch its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026 on February 2, aiming to immunize over 45 million children across the country, officials announced.
Speaking at a press conference, Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s focal person for polio eradication, said the campaign will involve more than 400,000 frontline workers going door-to-door to ensure every child receives the polio vaccine.
She highlighted the crucial role of the media in combating misinformation, noting that false information about vaccines has posed challenges to previous campaigns. 'Eliminating polio in Pakistan is not possible without public awareness and media cooperation,' she said.
Pakistan to launch final nationwide polio drive of 2025 from Dec 15
So far in 2025, 31 polio cases have been reported in Pakistan, with 17 cases in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while environmental samples indicate the presence of the virus in Karachi. No cases have been reported in Balochistan in the past 15 months, and Lahore has seen a significant reduction in virus levels in environmental samples.