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Pakistan Launches 2026 Polio Drive Targeting 45 Million Children

Pakistan has initiated its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, aiming to reach over 45 million children. The drive, running from February 2 to 8, involves more than 400,000 health workers conducting door-to-door vaccinations. Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication, emphasized the campaign's crucial role in eliminating the disease. Pakistan remains one of the few countries in the world where polio is still endemic.

Key Points: Pakistan's 2026 Polio Vaccination Campaign Targets 45M Kids

  • Targets 45+ million children
  • Involves 400,000 health workers
  • Runs from February 2-8, 2026
  • One of last polio-endemic countries
2 min read

Pakistan launches first nationwide polio vaccination drive of 2026

Pakistan launches a nationwide polio vaccination drive from Feb 2-8, 2026, aiming to protect over 45 million children with the help of 400,000 health workers.

"crucial to eliminating the disease - Ayesha Raza Farooq"

Islamabad, Feb 2

Pakistan on Monday launched its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, aiming to vaccinate more than 45 million children from February 2 to February 8, the National Emergency Operations Centre said.

The campaign was inaugurated in Islamabad by Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, with representatives of UNICEF and the World Health Organization also attending.

Speaking at the ceremony, Farooq said polio eradication remains a top government priority, calling the campaign "crucial" to eliminating the disease.

Pakistan remains one of the few countries where polio is endemic, prompting authorities to intensify nationwide vaccination efforts, Xinhua news agency repoted.

More than 400,000 workers will take part in the drive, carrying out door-to-door vaccination and related activities nationwide.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine.

Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralysed, 5-10 per cent die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.

Polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age. However, anyone of any age who is unvaccinated can contract the disease.

There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life. There are two vaccines available: oral polio vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine. Both are effective and safe, and both are used in different combinations worldwide, depending on local epidemiological and programmatic circumstances, to ensure the best possible protection to populations can be provided.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good to see a major vaccination drive. Polio is a terrible disease. In India, we've worked so hard to become polio-free. It's crucial for our neighbours to achieve the same for the health security of the entire subcontinent.
A
Aman W
Mobilizing 400,000 workers is no small feat. The logistics must be immense. Respect to the health workers on the ground doing the difficult door-to-door work. Their safety is also important.
S
Sarah B
As a parent, this hits home. No child should suffer from a preventable disease. I hope misinformation and vaccine hesitancy don't hinder this campaign. Education is key.
V
Vikram M
While the intent is good, the article mentions they are one of the last endemic countries. There have been reports of challenges in the past with access and local resistance. I hope this drive addresses those core issues effectively and isn't just a numbers game.
K
Kavya N
Health should always come first, before politics. India's polio-free certification in 2014 was a massive achievement. Sharing our successful strategies and learnings could be helpful. Wishing success for this campaign!

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