Pakistan Initiates New Campaign to Combat Polio
(MENAFN) On Monday, Pakistan initiated a renewed countrywide effort to administer polio vaccinations in a bid to curb the debilitating illness.
The initiative aims to halt the spread of the virus that continues to threaten young children across the nation.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal officially launched the program—the third of its kind this year—during a formal event held in Islamabad, as announced by the Ministry of Health.
This week-long campaign targets more than 45 million children under the age of five, who will receive the polio immunization.
The effort reflects the country's ongoing struggle to eliminate the virus that remains active in numerous regions.
During his address at the launch event, Kamal highlighted that the polio virus has been identified in 50 districts across Pakistan.
He appealed to guardians to ensure their children are vaccinated, emphasizing the threat of “permanent disability” if the virus is left unchecked.
To safeguard the vaccinators, thousands of law enforcement officers have been stationed throughout the country.
In recent years, those delivering vaccines have often been the focus of violent attacks by extremist groups.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are currently the only two nations in the world where polio remains endemic.
The persistence of the disease in these areas continues to hinder global eradication efforts.
Certain insurgent factions, especially those in border regions of Balochistan and the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, regularly target polio teams.
They perceive these health initiatives as part of a broader “anti-Muslim and Western conspiracy,” frequently threatening health workers—many of whom are female—for providing children with oral vaccines.
Official figures reveal that since December 2012, almost 150 individuals connected to polio vaccination campaigns have been killed across Pakistan, underscoring the grave risks associated with this public health mission.
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