The nationwide drive aims to reach more than 31 million children while Pakistan works to interrupt the last chains of wild poliovirus
Pakistan launched a week-long polio vaccination campaign in late September with a target of reaching more than 31 million children. The effort comes as the country continues to work with Afghanistan to stop the world's remaining endemic transmission of wild poliovirus.
The campaign also exposed the danger faced by frontline teams. Two police officers assigned to protect vaccinators were shot dead in Nushki district, Balochistan, during the drive. The polio workers were inside a home administering oral vaccine drops and were not hurt. The attack shows how security risks can interrupt access even when vaccination teams are ready to serve communities.
The World Health Organization reported in August that one wild poliovirus type 1 case had been recorded in Pakistan during 2026 at that point. The lower case count represents progress from 31 cases in 2025, but environmental surveillance continued to detect the virus. WHO identified southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi among the areas where transmission and operational difficulties require sustained attention.
Polio can spread silently, so low case numbers do not by themselves prove that transmission has stopped. Repeated campaigns, routine immunisation, wastewater surveillance and rapid follow-up around detections remain necessary. Families can help by ensuring that eligible children receive drops during each round and complete their routine vaccinations. Authorities, meanwhile, must protect health workers without making communities feel threatened or excluded. Trust and safe access are both essential to reaching every child.
Reporting sources
- Associated Press report on the September vaccination campaign
- WHO Polio IHR Emergency Committee statement dated 25 August 2026
Prepared as an editorial demonstration. A human editor should verify the article before publication.