ISLAMABAD – On Monday, Pakistani officials embarked on the year’s final nationwide polio vaccination drive, targeting 45 million children in a bid to curb the spread of this potentially crippling disease, following the recent report of over 24 new cases.

According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan, alongside its neighbor Afghanistan, remains one of only two countries where polio has yet to be eradicated.

This year, Pakistan has recorded 30 cases of polio since January, showing a decline from the 74 cases reported during the same timeframe last year, as per information from the government’s Polio Eradication Initiative.

Marking its fifth national vaccination effort this year, Pakistan continues to undertake these crucial campaigns despite ongoing security challenges.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal called on parents to support the efforts of vaccination teams. “This isn’t merely about statistics. Each polio case signifies a threat to a child’s future and the well-being of our communities,” Kamal stated, emphasizing the seriousness of the recent outbreak.

According to the statement, more than 400,000 front-line health workers are going door-to-door across Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and in Islamabad, to ensure no child is missed.

Militants have repeatedly targeted vaccination workers and the police assigned to protect them, falsely claiming the campaigns are a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children.

Authorities have deployed thousands of police officers to protect vaccination teams following intelligence reports warning of possible militant attacks.

Since the 1990s, more than 200 polio workers and police officers assigned to guard them have been killed in such attacks.

“The December polio campaign is synchronized with Afghanistan, ensuring both countries boost immunity together to interrupt cross-border transmission,” the statement said.

Officials said Pakistan has made significant progress in containing the virus.

“We are closer than ever to achieving eradication, and this campaign represents a vital final push to stop the virus everywhere it still circulates,” it said.