Anti-Polio drive begins Today as Rawalpindi races to contain virus spread

KARACHI: The fifth and final anti-polio campaign of the year will begin across the Rawalpindi district on today, with health authorities mobilising more than 4,500 vaccination teams to reach nearly 800,000 children under five years of age.
District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Ehsan Ghani told APP that despite recent environmental samples testing positive for poliovirus, the district’s overall immunisation performance remains strong. He confirmed that poliovirus had been detected in sewage samples collected from Dhoke Dallal and Safdar Abad, terming it a serious alert for the district and province and clear evidence that the virus is still circulating.
“Although environmental surveillance has shown the presence of the virus, our field performance has been satisfactory. In recent campaigns, we achieved over 95 percent coverage and fully met the target of vaccinating more than 750,000 children,” Dr. Ghani said.
He added that routine immunisation efforts have been intensified in 25-45 high-risk union councils, with strict instructions issued to vaccinators to ensure that no child-particularly those from birth to two years old-remains unvaccinated.
Dr. Ghani noted that during the recent Measles-Rubella campaign, health teams simultaneously administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops to all children from birth to five years across the district, strengthening immunity levels further.
Expressing optimism, the health chief said that with intense interventions, the environmental samples are expected to turn negative soon. He added that samples collected from another sensitive site in Taxila have consistently tested negative, reflecting the effectiveness of targeted strategies in certain areas.
Highlighting the biggest challenge to eradication efforts, Dr. Ghani attributed the persistent risk to high population movement within the district. “Rawalpindi experiences a daily turnover of 4-6 percent from regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, southern Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and other parts of Punjab. People from these areas often settle temporarily. If any of them carry the poliovirus, it can spread locally,” he explained.
He reiterated that all possible measures are being taken to safeguard children and eliminate the virus. Teams have been trained, micro-plans updated, and monitoring has been strengthened to ensure that every eligible child is reached.
With Pakistan among the last two countries where wild poliovirus transmission remains, the Rawalpindi campaign carries enormous significance for the national eradication effort. Health authorities have urged parents to cooperate fully with vaccination teams, stressing that repeated doses are essential to protect children and break the chain of transmission.
Dr. Ghani expressed confidence that with continued commitment, community support, and rigorous surveillance, Rawalpindi can soon be declared polio-free.
“As long as the virus exists anywhere, children everywhere remain at risk. Our mission is to ensure that no child in Rawalpindi is left unprotected,” he added.
The campaign will run door-to-door throughout the week, with special attention to high-risk areas, transit points, and mobile populations. Authorities have appealed to citizens to facilitate vaccinators and report any missed children to the helpline.
The success of the drive, officials say, will be crucial in moving Pakistan one step closer to eradicating polio once and for all.