Pakistan launches polio drive to vaccinate 24 million children in 97 districts

Pakistan has launched a major polio vaccination drive that aims to protect around 24 million children under five in 97 high-risk districts across the country.

Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal launched the campaign on Friday, 30 October, at the National Emergency Operations Centre in Islamabad, where he gave the first polio drops of the drive. The vaccination round runs from 2 to 8 November, with more than 200,000 frontline workers going door to door to reach children in their homes.

This is the fifth large-scale polio campaign in Pakistan in 2026, and the third one focused on selected high-risk districts rather than the whole country. The drive will run at the same time in Afghanistan, with coordination across the border, because the virus still spreads in both countries.

The minister said the government aims to make Pakistan polio-free by June next year. Pakistan has already cut polio cases by 99.8 percent since its national eradication programme began in 1994, from an estimated 20,000 cases a year to 31 cases in 2025 and seven so far in 2026. But those seven cases show the virus has not gone yet, and every missed child can keep it spreading.

Why it matters: Polio can cause lifelong paralysis in children, and there is no cure — vaccination is the only protection. Reaching nearly 24 million children in one week is a big step towards ending the disease in one of the last two countries where it still spreads naturally.

What happens next: Vaccination teams will visit homes in the 97 districts from 2 to 8 November, and parents are urged to make sure every child under five gets the drops, even if they have been vaccinated before.

Sources

• https://pakistanarchive.com/polio-drive-launched-to-vaccinate-24-million-children-in-97-districts/
• https://www.businessinsider.pk/health-minister-sets-june-deadline-for-polio-free-pakistan/
• https://abbtakk.tv/pakistan-aims-to-eliminate-polio-by-june-next-year-health-minister-says/
• https://www.medicalnews.pk/24-Oct-2026/world-polio-day-2026-pakistan-polio-eradication-fight

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.