ISLAMABAD, 15 September 2026: The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) will conduct a sub-national polio vaccination campaign from 21–27 September, with vaccination teams reaching more than 31 million children under five in 115 high-risk districts across the country.

The September sub-national campaign will take place across Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh, with activities focused on high-risk and hotspot areas where children remain particularly vulnerable to poliovirus transmission. The campaign will also be synchronized with vaccination activities in Afghanistan to strengthen efforts to interrupt poliovirus transmission across the two countries.

Ahead of the campaign, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq convened health journalists from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), where PEI leadership and technical experts briefed journalists on the September campaign, including campaign preparations, surveillance findings and efforts to reach every eligible child.

The September campaign is an important opportunity to strengthen population immunity and close immunity gaps in high-risk and hotspot areas, helping to reduce the risk of continued poliovirus transmission. More than 273,000 dedicated frontline workers will support vaccination activities during the campaign.

Pakistan has reported four confirmed wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in 2026, including three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Sindh. Continued poliovirus detections through acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and environmental surveillance reinforce the need for high vaccination coverage, strong surveillance and timely response.

The PEI also highlighted the importance of ensuring that children are protected through both polio vaccination and routine immunization. Oral polio vaccine (OPV) given during campaigns provides additional protection against poliovirus, while routine immunization protects children against other vaccine-preventable diseases. The Polio Eradication Initiative and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) continue to work together to identify and reach children who are not fully protected.

“The September campaign is an important opportunity to reach more than 31 million children in high-risk areas and strengthen population immunity against poliovirus,” said Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq. “I urge parents and caregivers to support vaccination teams and ensure that all children under five are vaccinated during the campaign, even if they have received polio drops before.”

Media also visited the Polio Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where they were briefed on poliovirus testing, environmental surveillance and the laboratory processes that support programme decisions and guide the response.

The PEI calls on parents, caregivers and communities to support vaccination teams and ensure that every child under five receives the polio vaccine during every campaign. Continued participation in every campaign is essential to protecting children and achieving a polio-free Pakistan for all.

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Note for the Editor:

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free, besides the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

For further information, please contact: Mr. Syed Farhan Shah, Public Relations Officer, NEOC, +923165011808, syed.farhanshah1990@gmail.com