Polio drive targets 24 million children in 97 districts as PM orders new plan
A nationwide polio campaign running from November 2 to 8 aims to reach nearly 24 million children in 97 districts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked for a coordinated plan within one week after a ninth case was reported this year.
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- Campaign runs November 2 to 8 in 97 districts, targeting nearly 24 million children
- A new case from Khyber district brings Pakistan's 2026 total to 9
- PM Shehbaz Sharif ordered a coordinated anti-polio plan within one week
- Punjab said it vaccinated over six million children in 12 districts in three days
Pakistan's latest polio vaccination campaign continues in 97 districts. It began on November 2 and runs until November 8. The World Health Organization said it is supporting the government and its partners in the drive, which targets nearly 24 million children.
Dr. Musa Khan, Director General of the Federal Directorate of Immunization, urged parents and caregivers to make sure all children under five are vaccinated. He asked them to cooperate with vaccination teams, who are going door to door to administer the drops.
The campaign focuses on high-risk areas, including border communities, districts with positive environmental surveillance results and areas with low routine immunisation coverage. Repeated vaccination is needed to strengthen immunity and prevent paralysis, the directorate said. Dr. Khan said collective efforts by parents, communities, health workers and authorities are vital to achieving a polio-free Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a review meeting on anti-polio efforts and expressed concern over recent cases. According to Express News, a new case was reported from Khyber district, bringing this year's total to 9. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa there have been 3 cases from Khyber district, 3 from Bannu and 1 from North Waziristan, and all Khyber cases are linked to poliovirus from Afghanistan. Sindh has reported one case each from Karachi East and Sujawal.
The prime minister directed the anti-polio team to visit all four provinces immediately and meet chief ministers and chief secretaries. He ordered a coordinated plan within one week after consultations, and higher routine immunisation and vaccination coverage in affected and concerning areas. Teams in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being given better security and access.
The meeting was told that no new case has been reported in Punjab since February 2025 and none in Balochistan in 2025 or 2026. Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are polio-free, and poliovirus levels in Sindh's environmental samples fell this year. Movement from Afghanistan was cited as a major reason for the spread.
Minute Mirror reported that Punjab concluded the drive in 12 districts after giving drops to more than six million children in three days, while the campaign in Lahore continues until Sunday. Nawa-i-Waqt reported the campaign continued for a third day in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under tight security. In Rawalpindi, the deputy commissioner reviewed second-day figures and ordered faster coverage of missed and hesitant cases.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 1 November that the third sub-national polio campaign of the year would start on November 2 in 97 districts and run until November 8, aiming to reach 23.9 million children. It also reported that day that Pakistan had recorded its eighth case of 2026, from Khyber district, according to the National Emergency Operations Centre.
Why it matters
Parents of children under five in the 97 districts are asked to have them vaccinated during the campaign, and teams are visiting homes. Families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially Khyber, Bannu and North Waziristan, live in areas where this year's cases have been found. Border communities and areas with low routine immunisation coverage are among those singled out as high risk. The government's one-week plan will shape how vaccination is handled in the provinces.
