Pakistan has launched the second anti-polio nationwide campaign of 2026, according to health officials. The drive aims to protect millions of children from the polio virus across the country.
Officials said the second anti-polio campaign follows the successful completion of the first national drive earlier this year. The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) confirmed that millions of children were vaccinated in the previous phase.
According to NEOC data, more than 44 million children received polio drops in the earlier campaign. Authorities described it as a major step toward disease prevention and national health safety.
The current second anti-polio campaign will continue until April 19. It is being conducted across 169 districts in Pakistan. At the same time, vaccination efforts are also underway in 382 districts in Afghanistan.
Health officials said the goal is to vaccinate over 45.3 million children in total. More than 400,000 frontline workers have been deployed for the campaign. These teams are going door-to-door to ensure full coverage.
In Punjab, the target is 23.4 million children. In Sindh, the aim is to vaccinate 10.5 million children. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plans to cover 7.3 million children during this second anti-polio campaign.
Balochistan has set a target of 2.6 million children. In Azad Kashmir, around 710,000 children are included in the vaccination drive. Gilgit-Baltistan aims to vaccinate 280,000 children.
In Islamabad, nearly 450,000 children will receive polio drops. Officials said the campaign is carefully planned to ensure maximum reach in both urban and rural areas.
The second anti-polio campaign also includes a five-day intensive vaccination phase. This will be followed by two catch-up days for missed children. Special mobile teams have been deployed in hard-to-reach areas.
Children will also receive Vitamin A drops during the campaign. Health experts say this helps strengthen immunity and improves overall child health.
A special coordination plan has also been introduced for Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions. Vaccination teams will be stationed at all major crossing points.
Officials noted that past cooperation has helped reduce polio cases significantly. However, travel monitoring and health screening measures remain in place.
Authorities have urged parents to fully cooperate with teams during the second anti-polio campaign. They emphasized that repeated vaccination is key to preventing the spread of the virus.
The campaign continues as part of Pakistan’s long-term goal to eliminate polio completely.
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