The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has announced that second nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2026 will be conducted from April 13 to 19, aiming to vaccinate more than 45 million children across the country.

According to NEOC, children participating in the campaign will also receive Vitamin A supplements to strengthen their immunity and overall health. Nearly 413,000 frontline polio workers will take part in the drive, going door-to-door to ensure maximum coverage.

Over 23 million children will be vaccinated in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, and more than 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Balochistan, over 2.6 million children will receive polio drops, while the target stands at 460,000 in Islamabad.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, more than 228,000 children will be vaccinated, and over 760,000 children will be covered in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Health authorities emphasized that protecting children from polio is a shared national responsibility. Parents have been urged to cooperate with polio teams by opening their doors and ensuring their children receive the life-saving vaccine.

The NEOC also stressed the importance of completing routine immunization for all children from birth to 15 months to safeguard them against preventable diseases.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)