Anti-polio drive begins in Punjab

LAHORE:The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has announced the launch of a week-long polio vaccination campaign across the province, scheduled from April 21 to April 27, 2025.

The campaign aims to immunise over 23 million children under the age of five against the crippling poliovirus. Adeel Tasawar, Coordinator of the Punjab Emergency Operations Centre and Head of the Polio Eradication Programme in Punjab, called on all parents and caregivers to extend their full support to frontline health workers.

‘This campaign is a critical step forward in our mission to ensure that no child in Punjab is left vulnerable to polio,’ he said. ‘The polio vaccine is the safest and most effective vaccine ever developed, and we urge all parents not to lend ears to baseless rumours or misinformation.’

Highlighting the Punjab government’s commitment to a polio-free future, Tasawar emphasised the efforts of the health and population department in reaching every child—even in the most remote and mobile communities.

‘While Punjab has made significant progress, challenges remain—particularly in reaching missed children and managing the mass movement of populations from high-risk districts,’ he said. ‘We are especially focused on ensuring robust vaccination coverage at transit points, bus terminals, railway stations, and other travel hubs. Parents travelling with young children must cooperate with polio teams stationed at these locations.’

The EOC is deploying over 200,000 trained polio workers throughout the campaign. Tasawar concluded with a heartfelt appeal: ‘Together, with the support of every parent and community member, we can make polio history in Punjab. Let us not leave a single child behind.’

In mega districts, including Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, it will be a seven-day campaign, including two days allocated for catch up to reach the missed children.

While in rest of the districts, the campaign will last five days. Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, accounts for 50% of the target population in the polio eradication program. The threat of polio virus importation from regions still affected by the disease remains a significant concern.