Pakistan has commenced its second nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign of 2026, aiming to immunize more than 45.3 million children across the country. This large-scale initiative runs until April 19 and involves the deployment of over 400,000 health workers.
The campaign is being conducted simultaneously in 169 districts of Pakistan and 382 districts in Afghanistan, reflecting a coordinated regional effort to eradicate polio. In February, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) announced the successful completion of the first national anti-polio drive of the year, during which over 44.3 million children received the polio vaccine.
Provincial targets for the current campaign are substantial: Punjab aims to vaccinate 23.4 million children, Sindh 10.5 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 7.3 million, and Balochistan 2.6 million. Additionally, Azad Kashmir plans to cover 710,000 children, Gilgit-Baltistan 280,000, and Islamabad approximately 450,000 children.
The campaign strategy includes a five-day vaccination effort in sensitive areas, followed by two catch-up days to ensure maximum coverage. Special mobile teams will be deployed to reach hard-to-access populations. Alongside polio drops, children will also receive Vitamin A supplements to enhance their immunity.
In a significant development, a dedicated plan has been established for the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with vaccination points set up at all crossing locations to prevent virus transmission. Thanks to previous collaborative efforts between the two countries, polio cases have markedly decreased. However, conditional travel restrictions remain enforced for both nations to control the spread of the virus.
