ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday launched a subnational polio vaccination campaign aimed at reaching around 24 million children in 97 districts, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) said, amid efforts to eradicate the crippling disease.

Polio is a highly contagious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis and, in some cases, death. It can be prevented through safe and effective polio vaccines.

Pakistan has reported seven wild poliovirus type 1 cases so far this year, including five in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and two in Sindh in the country’s south.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the campaign at the NEOC, where he administered the first polio drops of the campaign that would run from Nov. 2 till Nov. 8.

“Polio eradication remains a national priority, and we are committed to sustaining our efforts until poliovirus transmission is interrupted across the country,” he said.

“The November campaign will target approximately 24 million children in 97 selected districts, with a focus on strengthening vaccination coverage and ensuring that every eligible child is protected.”

Kamal said polio transmission in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a key concern that required targeted interventions, stronger coordination and sustained vaccination efforts.

“The federal government is working closely with the provincial government, district administrations and relevant stakeholders to address security and access challenges and ensure that every child in the affected areas receives polio vaccination during the upcoming campaign,” he said, urging parents and caregivers to support vaccination teams.

“Our vaccination teams visit your homes to protect your children, so please welcome them and ensure that every child under five receives polio drops, which are safe and effective.”

Pakistan’s polio campaigns have long been hampered by misinformation and vaccine refusals, as well as attacks by militant groups, who falsely claim polio vaccines are part of a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children or cause infertility.

Last month, unidentified gunmen killed two police constables deployed to protect a polio vaccination team in Balochistan, a police official said. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to government data, Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8 percent from an estimated 20,000 cases in the early 1990s to 31 last year.

The latest campaign will be the fifth large drive of 2026 – the third subnational – and will mobilize over 200,000 frontline polio workers.

“It will be implemented simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan – the last two endemic countries in the world for wild poliovirus – and supported by strong cross-border coordination,” the NEOC said.