A national anti-polio effort has been initiated in Pakistan, aimed at 45 million children under five.
With an extra dosage of vitamin A to strengthen immunity, the program, which runs from October 28 to November 3, intends to target children in 71 impacted regions.
With 41 cases reported, Pakistan is launching its third nationwide campaign this year. Balochistan has reported 21 cases, Sindh has reported 12, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 6, and Punjab and Islamabad have each reported one.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the fight against polio a “collective responsibility” and underlined the importance of cooperation in order to eradicate the disease in Pakistan.
Only in Pakistan and Afghanistan is polio still endemic, which emphasizes how urgent it is to achieve widespread vaccination in order to safeguard future generations.
