Pakistan to launch polio 'outbreak response' campaign

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has decided to launch a special anti-polio campaign ‘Outbreak Response’ after the virus was detected in sewage samples across the country, ARY News reported citing sources.

According to sources, the anti-polio drive will target over 95 lakh children for vaccination. The campaign will run from July 1 to July 7 and will cover 41 districts, including Islamabad.

The drive will also focus on 31 districts where polio-positive sewerage was detected. The anti-polio drive will be launched in 16 districts of Balochistan, 11 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh 8, and Punjab 5, sources added.

Sources said that the goal of the special drive is to vaccinate 89 lakh children in districts with polio positive sewerage samples.

READ: Poliovirus ‘detected’ in sewage samples of seven districts

Balochistan aims to vaccinate 9 lakh children, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 13 lakh, Sindh 27 lakh, Punjab 44 lakh, and Islamabad 1.33 lakh, sources added.

Eight polio cases have been reported in the country so far this year.

Yesterday, poliovirus was detected in sewage samples of seven districts across Pakistan.

According to sources, the Type-1 Wild Poliovirus was found in sewage lines whereas the number of positive sewage samples has risen to 203 in 2024.

The affected districts include Islamabad, Quetta, Nasirabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Gujranwala, where the poliovirus has been detected in their sewage, sources added.