What happened
The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) announced that a special anti-polio campaign will be conducted from 18 to 24 May in 79 selected districts across Pakistan, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Wednesday, 6 May 2026.
During the campaign, about 19 million children are to be given polio drops, according to the NEOC. The drive is to be carried out simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of coordinated efforts to eliminate polio from the region. It follows the first nationwide campaign of 2026 in February, the confirmation of the year’s first wild polio case in Sindh’s Sujawal district and the second nationwide drive in April.
Where the campaign will run
The agency gave a provincial breakdown of the targets. In Punjab, about 6.19 million children are to be vaccinated across 10 selected districts. In Sindh, the campaign will target 5.79 million children in 20 districts.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 4.61 million children are to receive polio drops in 23 districts, while in Balochistan the campaign is to cover 1.99 million children in 25 districts. A further 450,000 children in Islamabad are to be vaccinated.
Why it matters
Health authorities described a polio-free future for children as a shared national responsibility and urged parents to cooperate with polio teams, open their doors to frontline workers and ensure their children receive the vaccine. Officials said collective efforts and community support were essential to eradicating polio in Pakistan.
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