A police officer assigned to protect an anti-polio vaccination team was killed and four others wounded when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday. The attack targeted a police van escorting a team of five personnel providing security to the polio vaccination team operating in the Chapri Waziran area.
Hangu SDPO Mujahid Hussain confirmed that all policemen in the vehicle sustained bullet injuries, with one officer later succumbing to his wounds. The remaining injured officers were promptly taken to a medical facility for treatment.
In a significant development, the Pakistan Polio Programme launched its second National Immunisation Days (NIDs) campaign of 2026 on the same day. This five-day nationwide initiative aims to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five, marking a critical phase in Pakistan’s final efforts to halt poliovirus transmission and achieve eradication by the end of 2025.
Last month, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) confirmed the first wild polio case of 2026 in a four-year-old child from Bello Union Council in Sujawal district, Sindh. The case was identified through the polio surveillance network and verified by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad.
Pakistan and its neighbor Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is endemic. For decades, militants in these regions have targeted vaccination teams and their security escorts, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of police officers and health workers over the past ten years.
Polio is a highly contagious virus primarily affecting children under five, which can cause permanent paralysis but is preventable through oral vaccination. The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is actively evaluating strategies to contain and prevent further spread of the virus.
Despite ongoing challenges, the goal of eradicating polio in Pakistan and globally is within reach. Since 1994, polio cases in Pakistan have dropped by 99.8%, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to just 31 cases in 2025. The PEI conducted five nationwide campaigns in 2025, alongside targeted vaccination rounds and integration with the national routine immunisation programme.
Although there has been a decline in poliovirus detections compared to 2024, virus circulation continues in high-risk areas such as districts in Sindh and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These persistent detections highlight the necessity for sustained, focused efforts to interrupt transmission and ensure consistent vaccination coverage for children.
Polio remains a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis or death. However, vaccines are safe, effective, and have been successfully used in 195 countries, including all Muslim-majority nations.
Eradicating polio is a shared responsibility. While frontline workers strive to deliver vaccines to every child, parents and caregivers must ensure their children receive all recommended doses, including routine immunisations. Communities, religious leaders, and the media also play essential roles in promoting vaccination, combating misinformation, and protecting every child in Pakistan.
Together, these combined efforts can secure a polio-free future for children in Pakistan and around the world.
