ISLAMABAD: The third National Polio Campaign of 2025 has officially begun, the National Emergency Operations Center (NCOC) announced on Sunday.
Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, inaugurated the campaign by administering polio drops to children. Scheduled from May 26 to June 1, the campaign aims to vaccinate over 45 million children across the country.
According to the NCOC, the nationwide drive seeks to eliminate the poliovirus from Pakistan. The campaign is being conducted simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a special focus on border regions and nomadic communities.
Earlier this year, two national anti-polio drives were held — from February 3 to 9 and April 20 to 27. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged parents to fully cooperate with vaccination teams to ensure their children’s immunization.
Despite consistent efforts, polio remains a challenge in Pakistan. Just last month, a new case was detected in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — the third in the province and the eighth nationwide in 2025, according to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the NIH.
