19.7m children inoculated against polio nationwide

Densley populated areas more prone to disease, cautions NEOC

At least 19.7 million children under five were vaccinated during a week-long anti-polio campaign held from September 1 to 7 across several districts, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) quoted.

Over 4 million children were covered in Punjab, 8.7 million in Sindh, 2.2 million in Balochistan, and 4 million in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In Islamabad, nearly 479,000 children received polio drops, while 112,000 were vaccinated in Gilgit-Baltistan and 164,000 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Polio campaign in Torgarh [Source: EOC]

Earlier, Environmental surveillance had recently detected wild poliovirus in sewage samples from Hyderabad, marking the sixth positive detection this year, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Read: Polio eradication drive to start Sept 1

The EOC said parents, civil administrations, law enforcement agencies, and health workers played a key role in the campaign’s success, adding that polio teams and security personnel were the “heroes of the nation.”

A follow-up drive will begin on September 15 in South Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Bajaur and Upper Dir, targeting 1.6 million children, the centre added.

District authorities have cautioned that during the ongoing rainy season, densely populated areas remain at higher risk, stressing the importance of ensuring no child is left unvaccinated.

Read More: Three-day anti-polio drive launched

Parents have been urged to ensure every child under five receives polio drops in each campaign. Citizens can contact the 1166 helpline or send a WhatsApp message to 0346-7776546 for information.

The EOC, operating under the Ministry of National Health Services, coordinates Pakistan’s polio eradication programme with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and global partners.