Pakistan has successfully completed its final nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2025, vaccinating more than 44.6 million children, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) reported. The drive, carried out from December 15 to 21, aimed to strengthen the country’s efforts to eradicate polio and ensure all children are protected against the disease.
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In Punjab, around 22.9 million children received anti-polio drops, while approximately 10.6 million were vaccinated in Sindh. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported more than 7.157 million children vaccinated, and over 2.583 million children were covered in Balochistan. Smaller regions also saw significant coverage, with over 450,000 children in Islamabad, 274,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and more than 714,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir receiving the vaccine.
The NEOC thanked parents, civil administration officials, law enforcement agencies, and polio workers for their cooperation, praising the efforts of the campaign teams as the nation’s “real heroes.” Security personnel provided protection during the campaign, ensuring that workers could safely reach children in all areas.
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The campaign comes amid risks to health workers. Last week, two individuals, including a policeman guarding polio workers in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were killed in a shooting by unidentified armed men. Such attacks highlight the dangers faced by health teams in reaching every child.
Earlier anti-polio drives in October aimed to vaccinate over 45 million children but fell short of targets. Over 1 million children missed out, with more than 700,000 unavailable for vaccination and over 53,000 cases of vaccine refusal reported. Authorities hope that continued campaigns will close these gaps and bring Pakistan closer to polio eradication.