Balochistan has reached a significant milestone in its anti-polio campaign, after all 23 environmental samples tested negative for the virus, Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar announced in Quetta.
The minister said no new polio cases have been reported in the province over the past two years. He attributed the result to continuous hard work and effective government policy.
Officials credited for oversight and frontline efforts
Kakar said oversight from the Chief Minister of Balochistan and the Chief Secretary had played a vital role in the results. He also praised polio workers, the health department and parents, noting that vaccination drives continued despite security risks and difficult terrain.
The minister paid tribute to frontline workers, saying the sacrifices of those who were martyred or injured during polio drives would never be forgotten. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue the effort until the province is completely free of polio.
National drive to vaccinate millions of children
Separately, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said a one-week national anti-polio campaign will begin on November 2 in 97 selected districts. Polio workers will go door-to-door, with as many as 23.9 million children under five due to receive drops.
The NEOC gave the following breakdown of planned coverage:
- Almost 9.278 million children in 13 selected districts of Punjab
- Almost 6.883 million children in 20 selected districts of Sindh
- 4.808 million children in 27 selected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- 2.217 million children in 31 selected districts of Balochistan
- More than 447,000 children in Islamabad
- As many as 153,000 children in three selected districts of Gilgit-Baltistan
- More than 183,000 children in two selected districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
The NEOC said securing a polio-free future for children is a shared responsibility and urged parents to fully cooperate with polio teams to eradicate the disease.
