Pakistan launches major anti-polio campaign amid rise in cases

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan on Sunday launched the last anti-polio campaign of the year in another attempt to eradicate the crippling disease from the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the campaign at a ceremony in the capital Islamabad, according to a statement from his office.

The campaign targets to administer anti-polio vaccine to children below five years in 143 districts in the country.

"We will win the war against polio despite the difficulties faced in the past, polio cases increased and approximately 60 cases in Pakistan have come forward which is a great challenge and matter of great concern," Sharif said.

He also acknowledged the efforts of international partners, the Bill Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Saudi Arabia for the eradication of polio from Pakistan.

Pakistan's polio case count for this year has reached 63.

Despite global efforts to eradicate polio, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where the virus remains endemic.

This year, polio cases have been reported across several provinces, with 28 cases in Balochistan, 17 in Sindh, 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each in Punjab province and Islamabad, the capital. Last year, only six cases were recorded nationwide.

Pakistan continues to be under travel restrictions linked to polio imposed by the WHO. Since 2014, the WHO has required all travelers from Pakistan to present a valid polio vaccination certificate before departing the country.

Polio vaccination efforts have been hampered by opposition from some militant groups, particularly in the border regions of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These groups often view the campaigns as part of a broader anti-Muslim and Western conspiracy, and many vaccinators, especially women, have received death threats.

Local media reports indicate that approximately 150 people associated with the polio drive have been killed across Pakistan since 2012.