Pakistan's Nationwide Push to Eradicate Polio: Over 4.5 Million Children to be Immunized

Pakistan will launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign starting October 25, aiming to immunize over 4.5 million children in three phases. The drive involves 455,504 frontline workers, also providing vitamin A supplements. Recent polio cases in Sindh and Balochistan highlight the urgency of this effort.

Pakistan is gearing up for a nationwide polio vaccination campaign targeting more than 4.5 million children, as confirmed by ARY News. Slated to commence on October 25, the initiative will unfold in three stages, beginning in Sindh, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and then extending to Punjab, Balochistan, and Islamabad.

The extensive campaign plans to vaccinate 2.3 million children in Punjab, 1.6 million in Sindh, 730,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 265,000 in Balochistan. Additionally, Islamabad will see 461,125 youngsters vaccinated, along with 740,000 in Azad Kashmir and 281,232 in Gilgit-Baltistan. Supplementary vitamin A doses for children aged between 6 and 59 months are also part of the campaign's comprehensive health strategy.

This proactive measure follows the emergence of new polio cases in the districts of Sanghar and Mirpur Khas in Sindh, increasing the national tally to 39 for the year. The National Reference Lab at the National Institutes of Health has verified these cases. Earlier, Balochistan recorded three additional polio cases, with confirmations from Chaman, Pishin, and Nushki districts by the Department of Health.

(With inputs from agencies.)