Pakistan to Launch Sub-National Polio Drive in 97 Districts from November 2, Targeting 23.9 Million Children

ISLAMABAD : The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has announced a week-long sub-national anti-polio vaccination campaign from *November 2 to 8, 2026*, covering *97 high-risk districts* across the country, aiming to vaccinate more than *23.9 million children* under five years of age.

Frontline polio workers will go door-to-door to administer two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to every eligible child, as part of Pakistan’s final push to eradicate wild poliovirus.

Fresh Case Triggers Urgency

The announcement comes after a fresh polio case was reported in Karachi East, taking the national tally for 2026 to seven. According to the Emergency Operations Centre, five cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two from Sindh this year.

The latest victim is a six-month-old child, underscoring the continued vulnerability of unvaccinated children. The last case in Karachi was reported in December 2024.

Officials said the upcoming campaign is critical to stop silent transmission, as environmental surveillance continues to detect the virus in sewage samples despite a sharp drop in clinical cases.

Province-Wise Campaign Plan

According to the official campaign plan shared by NEOC:

– *Punjab:* 13 districts – 9.278 million children
– *Sindh:* 20 districts including all districts of Karachi – 6.883 million children
– *Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:* 27 districts – 4.808 million children
– *Balochistan:* 31 districts – 2.217 million children
– *Islamabad:* 447,000 children
– *Gilgit-Baltistan:* 3 districts – 153,000 children
– *Azad Jammu and Kashmir:* 2 districts – 183,000 children

Officials Speak

Head of the Pakistan Polio Programme, Anwarul Haq, said the current year has shown marked improvement in performance.

> “The ongoing calendar year has proved to be much better in terms of performance. Moreover, as we have entered into the low-transmission season, there are fewer chances of polio cases,” he said.

He said winter is considered a low-transmission season because the virus becomes largely dormant in cold temperatures, making it the best window to interrupt transmission.

A senior official at NEOC said:

> “Polio is an incurable disease that can cause permanent paralysis. Vaccination is the only way to prevent it. We urge parents to ensure their children receive polio drops during every campaign and complete their routine immunization schedule on time.”

> “Pakistan has reduced annual polio cases by 99.8% from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025. But even seven cases mean seven children paralyzed for life. The fight is not over.”

> “More than 273,000 frontline workers were deployed in the September campaign alone, vaccinating 28.2 million children in 112 districts. Our workers, 60% of whom are women, are ensuring vaccines reach every child.”

Background – Where Pakistan Stands

Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus transmission continues, along with Afghanistan. Together, both countries have reported 48 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2026.

Pakistan’s progress has been significant:
– *2024:* 74 cases
– *2025:* 31 cases (20 in KP alone)
– *2026 so far:* 7 cases

The number of affected districts has also dropped from 67 districts in early 2025 to 23 districts in early 2026.

However, officials warn that environmental detections remain high, indicating silent circulation of the virus. Security-related challenges in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly Bannu district – origin of three of this year’s cases – remain the biggest threat to eradication.

An official noted that in some areas of Bannu, campaigns have been stopped and workers have faced kidnapping threats, requiring coordinated security measures.

Campaign Appeal

NEOC has appealed to all segments of society – parents, religious leaders, communities, and media – to play their full role in eradicating polio.

Parents and caregivers have been urged to cooperate with vaccination teams, ensure every child under five receives two drops, and counter misinformation about vaccines.

> “Polio eradication is a collective responsibility. Together, we can achieve a polio-free future for every child,” the NEOC statement added.

The campaign is part of Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to protect children from lifelong paralysis and make history by ending polio forever.