ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has successfully concluded its fifth and final nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2025, during which more than 44.6 million children were administered polio drops across the country, according to officials of the Pakistan Polio Programme.
Strong vaccination coverage was reported from all provinces and regions. Punjab recorded the highest coverage with over 22.8 million children vaccinated, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with more than 7.1 million, Balochistan with over 2.5 million and Sindh where more than one million children received polio drops. In Islamabad, over 450,000 children were vaccinated, while more than 274,000 children were covered in Gilgit-Baltistan and over 714,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The nationwide campaign was inaugurated at the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication by Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal, along with Federal Health Secretary and National Coordinator Muhammad Anwar ul Haq, in the presence of senior officials and representatives of international partner organisations.
During and after the campaign, national and provincial leadership carried out extensive field visits and chaired post-campaign review meetings to evaluate vaccination coverage, campaign quality and operational performance. These monitoring activities helped identify gaps and ensured timely corrective measures to improve overall effectiveness.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq also undertook post-campaign visits to Peshawar and Lahore, where she held meetings with provincial authorities to review the polio situation and assess campaign outcomes. She also met frontline polio workers, appreciated their efforts and listened to their concerns to further strengthen future planning and implementation.
Officials reported that sustained, high-quality vaccination campaigns throughout 2025 have resulted in a significant reduction in polio cases across the country. Reported cases declined from 74 in 2024 to 30 in 2025, with no new cases reported since September 2025, reflecting notable progress in polio eradication efforts.
The National Emergency Operations Centre stated that Pakistan remains on a strong path towards polio eradication, stressing that continued vigilance, quality campaigns and community engagement are essential to sustain the gains achieved. Authorities urged parents, community leaders and health workers to maintain their active support, saying collective commitment remains key to achieving a polio-free Pakistan.
