ISLAMABADE: The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), led by the Government of Pakistan, will launch the final national polio vaccination campaign of the year from December 15 to 21, aiming to protect more than 45 million children under the age of five from the crippling effects of poliovirus.
This will be Pakistan’s fifth national polio vaccination campaign in 2025, following a sub-national campaign conducted in September and the Measles Rubella OPV campaign held in November.
The December campaign is being conducted simultaneously with Afghanistan to strengthen cross-border coordination and boost population immunity in both countries.
According to PEI, Pakistan has reported 30 polio cases so far this year, a significant decline compared to 74 cases reported during the same period last year. Health authorities say the reduction reflects steady progress toward eradication, while stressing that sustained vaccination efforts are essential to stop remaining virus circulation.
More than 400,000 frontline health workers will participate in the campaign, going door to door across Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad to ensure every eligible child receives two drops of the polio vaccine.
Officials warned that environmental surveillance findings and continued population movement still pose a risk of virus transmission. They emphasized that consistent vaccination of all children under five remains the only effective way to prevent a resurgence of polio and secure a polio-free future for the country.
The PEI has called on media organizations to support the campaign by disseminating accurate and timely information to parents and caregivers. Senior officials from the National Emergency Operations Centre, along with technical experts, community representatives, and frontline workers, will be available for media interviews, while b-roll footage, photographs, and field access will also be facilitated where possible.
