AdSense Advertisement

Pakistan vaccinates 19.7 million children in latest anti-polio drive

By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme has vaccinated more than 19.7 million children under the age of five during its latest sub-national campaign, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said Tuesday.

The week-long campaign, conducted between September 1 and 7, covered 81 high-risk districts across the country. It was described as a significant step forward in Pakistan’s ongoing fight against poliovirus.

According to official figures, more than 8.72 million children were vaccinated in Sindh, followed by 4.04 million in Punjab, 4.025 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2.22 million in Balochistan. In smaller regions, 478,000 children were reached in Islamabad, 112,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 164,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The NEOC lauded parents, caregivers, health staff, law enforcement agencies, and especially frontline polio workers, calling them “national heroes” whose dedication continues to drive progress toward a polio-free Pakistan.

However, the program acknowledged setbacks due to the ongoing floods. Vaccination activities in nine districts of Punjab – including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur – have been postponed. New dates will be announced soon to ensure coverage of all children.

Meanwhile, in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur and Upper Dir districts, the campaign has been rescheduled to begin on September 15, targeting another 1.68 million children.

The NEOC urged parents to continue cooperating with vaccinators and ensure that every child receives the vaccine in each round. Unvaccinated children can be reported through the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline (1166) or via the 24/7 WhatsApp Helpline (0346-7776546).