Pakistan to launch years first nationwide anti-polio campaign from February

KARACHI: Pakistan is gearing up to launch its first nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2025, which is set to take place from February 3 to 9, 2025.

This campaign will cover over 4.54 million children throughout the country and will immunize them to develop high immunity from this debilitating disease.

Informed sources disclosed that a three-day campaign followed by an additional catch-up day will run in general areas, while in sensitive areas, a five-day campaign will run followed by two catch-up days with community-based immunization and special mobile team deployment.

In this campaign, over 450,000 workers will be mobilized in a testament to the government’s commitment to eradicating polio.

There is urgent justification for this campaign, as Pakistan confirmed 73 cases of polio in 2024, besides some 480 polio-positive sewage samples, a wild polio virus type 1 (WPV1) case having also been confirmed in the country by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

It’s a paralyzing disease, with no cure thus far, which can be countered only through multiple doses of oral polio vaccine and by making sure that the routine immunization schedule is complete for kids under the age of five.

The Pakistan Polio Program conducts multiple mass vaccination drives each year that bring the vaccine to children’s doorsteps, while the Expanded Program on Immunization provides the vaccines free of cost to protect against 12 childhood diseases.

It is paramount that parents ensure all children under five years of age get vaccinated in the upcoming campaign. Parents should do their bit to ensure that the upcoming anti-polio campaign is a success while the government is also taking all requisite measures to ensure that this campaign is a success.

The real commitment will really be from community members; with all organic effort, anything could be reached by them.