ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), led by the Government of Pakistan, successfully concluded its weeklong Sub-National Polio Vaccination Campaign, vaccinating more than 29.3 million children under five years of age across selected high-risk districts.
Thanks to polio frontline workers and sustained vaccination campaigns, Pakistan has reduced paralytic polio cases by 99.8 percent, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025, and 6 so far this year. Four of six cases reported in 2026 are from southern Kyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security-related access constraints have resulted in children missing critical vaccination.
The Sub-National Polio Campaign, conducted from September 21 to 27, 2026, across 113 districts, was the fourth polio vaccination campaign of the year and the second sub-national campaign of 2026. The campaign was implemented across selected high-risk districts in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan, with a focused effort to reach missed, zero-dose, and previously missed children, as well as children from mobile, migrant, and other high-risk populations.
In two districts of Punjab—Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur—the campaign was deferred due to the deployment of security personnel for other essential duties. The National EOC, in coordination with the relevant authorities, will ensure that the campaign is conducted in these districts at a later stage and that all eligible children are reached with the polio vaccine.
More than 273,000 frontline polio workers, including male and female vaccinators, were deployed during the campaign to conduct door-to-door vaccination activities and ensure that every eligible child received two drops of the oral polio vaccine (OPV). The extensive field operation was supported by provincial and district administrations, health departments, law-enforcement agencies and partner organisations.
Preliminary campaign data indicates that over 9.07 million children were administered the polio vaccine in 11 districts of Punjab, while more than 10.14 million children were vaccinated across 30 districts of Sindh. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than 7.21 million children were vaccinated in 37 districts, while more than 2.32 million children received the vaccine across 32 districts of Balochistan. In addition, more than 443,000 children were vaccinated in Islamabad, while more than 140,000 children were vaccinated across two districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Campaign coverage reached 100 percent of the target across the 113 covered districts. Of the recorded missed children, 14.8 percent were initially missed during the first household visit due to unavailability, refusal, or other reasons. Targeted revisit and follow-up efforts resulted in 86 percent of children initially missed being reached, further closing the gap in vaccination coverage nationwide. Overall, 627,776 children, representing 2.1 percent of the campaign target, remained missed.
The September campaign was conducted simultaneously with Afghanistan, reinforcing coordinated vaccination efforts and strengthening measures to enhance population immunity and minimise the risk of cross-border transmission of poliovirus.
While the achievement of the campaign target reflects the extensive efforts of vaccination teams and partners, continued vigilance and sustained vaccination remain essential to interrupt poliovirus transmission. Repeated vaccination through successive campaigns provides children with additional protection and helps maintain high levels of population immunity, particularly in areas and communities at greater risk of transmission.
The National EOC expressed its appreciation and gratitude to more than 273,000 frontline polio workers for their commitment and dedication throughout the campaign. The NEOC also acknowledged the support of parents and caregivers, communities, provincial and district administrations, health departments, law-enforcement agencies, partner organisations and the media in facilitating the effective implementation of the campaign.
The National EOC urged parents and caregivers to ensure that every child under five receives two drops of Oral Polio Vaccine during every polio campaign, irrespective of the number of previous doses received. Parents are also encouraged to ensure that their children receive all vaccines included in the routine immunisation schedule on time, providing sustained protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.
