Seven-day anti polio camping to start from Feb 2

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq has announced that a 7-day anti-polio campaign will begin from February 2 and continue till February 8 across the country, during which a target has been set to vaccinate more than 45 million children against polio.

She added that more than 400,000 polio workers will go door to door to administer the vaccine to children in this campaign.

Ayesha Raza Farooq appealed to parents and the community to fully cooperate with the polio teams so that the complete eradication of this deadly disease can be achieved.

She said that federal and provincial institutions are working together, and the government of Pakistan is committed to eradicating polio, while scholars and the media can play an important role in public awareness.

She said that there was a significant decrease in polio cases in 2025, and 31 cases were reported; however, the ultimate goal is to achieve zero polio cases.

She clarified that no case of death due to the polio vaccine has been reported, but the threat of the virus still exists. According to him, 70 percent of the polio campaign budget is provided by international partners and 30 percent by the government of Pakistan.

The focal person revealed that the polio vaccine was refused in some areas of Karachi, and complaints were received in South Karachi, while polio workers faced difficulties in some districts. The security of polio teams has been made more effective, and the safety of polio workers is the top priority of the government.