ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday launched a Sub-National Immunisation Days (SNIDs) campaign against polio across 115 selected districts of the country, aiming to vaccinate approximately 31 million children under the age of five from September 21 to 27.
Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal formally inaugurated the campaign along with Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq. Both administered polio drops to children to mark the launch of the nationwide effort.
According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), more than 273,000 polio workers will participate in the campaign, reaching children door-to-door in targeted areas despite challenging field conditions.
Under the campaign, around 10.6 million children will be vaccinated in 13 selected districts of Punjab, 10 million children in 30 districts of Sindh, 7.3 million children in 37 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2.3 million children in 32 districts of Balochistan.
In Islamabad, approximately 447,000 children will receive polio drops, while around 137,000 children will be targeted in two selected districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Speaking at the launch, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said the Government of Pakistan, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, remained committed to the complete eradication of polio from the country.
He said an effective and coordinated national response was being further strengthened to eliminate the disease, while all available resources were being mobilised to ensure timely access to the polio vaccine for every eligible child.
The minister also stressed the importance of stronger coordination between the Polio Eradication Programme and routine immunisation services, saying cooperation from parents, community leaders and all stakeholders was essential to achieving the goal of a polio-free Pakistan.
He said ensuring vaccination of every child under five was a national responsibility and urged parents to cooperate fully with vaccination teams during the campaign.
The NEOC also appealed to parents and caregivers to ensure that every child under five receives polio drops during the September campaign, noting that frontline workers continue to reach households even in difficult circumstances to protect children from the disabling disease.
The National Coordinator, representatives of partner organisations and members of the polio programme’s core team were also present at the campaign launch.
