Pakistan Polio Campaign: 24 Million Children, 97 Districts and Eighth Case

Pakistan polio campaign began on Monday 2 November 2026, a week-long subnational drive targeting nearly 24 million children under five across 97 districts.

The campaign runs until 8 November, and it involves more than 200,000 frontline workers going door to door, staffing fixed vaccination sites and covering transit points.

It begins against a sobering backdrop: Pakistan has just confirmed its eighth polio case of 2026.

Pakistan Polio Campaign: Scale and Targets

The subnational campaign aims to protect nearly 24 million children across 97 districts, including all districts of Karachi.

More than 200,000 frontline workers are conducting door-to-door visits to administer polio drops to children aged five and under.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio Eradication has urged parents nationwide to ensure that children aged five or younger receive the drops.

Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq has called on parents to ensure no child is missed, calling polio eradication a national responsibility.

The provincial targets show the scale of the operation. Punjab is targeting about 9.3 million children in 13 selected districts, including Rawalpindi.

Sindh aims to vaccinate 6.8 million children across 20 districts, through door-to-door teams and fixed vaccination sites.

Balochistan is targeting more than 2.2 million children under five in 31 districts, with 8,888 vaccination teams assigned to reach eligible children across 658 union councils.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province that has recorded most of this year's cases, aims to vaccinate more than 4.8 million children across 27 districts.

The campaign is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic.

Pakistan Polio Campaign: The Eighth Case That Frames the Drive

The NEOC has confirmed the eighth polio case of the year, from Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The affected child is a 13-month-old girl from Union Council Janbaz-B in Bara tehsil.

This is the second case reported from Khyber district this year, and the sixth from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Of the eight cases reported nationwide this year, six are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including four from southern KP, while two are from Sindh.

The case is a reminder of the importance of vaccinating every child, officials said, urging parents to ensure all children under five receive the oral polio vaccine in this campaign and in subsequent campaigns.

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative has launched an investigation into the case and is assessing the best science-based response to prevent further transmission.

That response includes targeted vaccination activities and efforts to strengthen routine immunisation.

Environmental surveillance in the Peshawar Block, covering Khyber and Peshawar districts, continues to detect the virus, indicating ongoing transmission.

Progress So Far, and the Gap That Remains

Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8 per cent, from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 cases in 2025.

So far in 2026, Pakistan has conducted four large-scale polio campaigns, protecting more than 45 million children multiple times.

Alongside those campaigns, smaller targeted drives have administered oral and injectable vaccines in high-risk areas, including the Peshawar Block.

The most recent subnational vaccination campaign in September covered more than 29.3 million children.

Those numbers show a system that can reach tens of millions of children, again and again.

They also show why eight cases still matter. Polio has no cure, but it can be prevented through timely vaccination, and every missed child keeps the virus in circulation.

The gap is concentrated, not general. Six of this year's eight cases come from one province, and environmental detections cluster in the Peshawar Block.

That is why this campaign targets 97 selected districts rather than the whole country at once, and why high-risk areas receive extra attention.

Pakistan Polio Campaign: Why This Week Matters

This campaign is the third subnational immunisation drive of 2026, and it comes at a critical point in the year.

A strong round now, covering nearly 24 million children, can break chains of transmission before winter.

A weak round, with missed children in high-risk districts, would leave the virus free to spread into the next round.

Parents are the decisive factor. Vaccination teams can reach homes, sites and transit points, but a child is only protected if the drops are actually given.

Health authorities have stressed that repeated doses matter. A child who received drops in an earlier campaign still needs them in this one, because each round builds protection.

The campaign's end date, 8 November, is not the end of the effort. Follow-up work, case investigation and routine immunisation strengthening continue after the drive closes.

For Pakistan's polio programme, the goal remains clear: interrupt the remaining transmission and protect every child under five, district by district.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Pakistan polio campaign run?

The Pakistan polio campaign runs from Monday 2 November to Sunday 8 November 2026, as a subnational drive across 97 selected districts.

How many children does the Pakistan polio campaign target?

The campaign aims to protect nearly 24 million children under five, with more than 200,000 frontline workers deployed for door-to-door visits, fixed sites and transit points.

What is the eighth polio case of 2026 in Pakistan?

The eighth case is a 13-month-old girl from Union Council Janbaz-B in Bara tehsil, Khyber district. It is the second case from Khyber district this year and the sixth from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Which provinces are covered in the Pakistan polio campaign?

Punjab targets about 9.3 million children in 13 districts, Sindh 6.8 million in 20 districts, Balochistan over 2.2 million in 31 districts, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over 4.8 million in 27 districts, within the 97-district total.

Has Pakistan made progress against polio?

Yes. Cases have fallen by 99.8 per cent, from an estimated 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025. In 2026 so far, four large-scale campaigns have protected more than 45 million children multiple times, but eight cases show transmission continues.