{
  "id": 10598119,
  "title": "28.2 million children vaccinated in weeklong polio campaign",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/28-2-million-children-vaccinated-in-weeklong-polio-campaign",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-29T03:17:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2033410/282-million-children-vaccinated-in-weeklong-polio-campaign"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a weeklong sub-national polio campaign, health workers in Pakistan vaccinated over 28.2 million children, according to officials. The campaign, which took place simultaneously in neighbouring Afghanistan from September 21 to 27, involved more than 273,000 workers across 112 districts. As of 2026, Pakistan has reported only four polio cases - three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Sindh, a significant decrease from 31 cases in 2025 and 74 in 2024. Health experts attribute the decline to improved campaign performance and the onset of winter, which is recognized as a low-transmission season as the virus becomes dormant in cold temperatures. Anwarul Haq, head of the Pakistan Polio Programme, stated that the year has been \"much better in terms of performance\" and that there are fewer chances of polio cases during the low-transmission season. However, security challenges in the northwest, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district, pose a threat to eradication efforts. The district, where three of this year's cases originated, is plagued by severe security issues that have not only halted polio campaigns but also led to kidnappings of polio team workers. Officials emphasize the need to address these security concerns, as the district remains the only place from which the polio virus could potentially rebound. The vaccination campaign had to be postponed in three districts of Punjab - Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Rajanpur. Despite the postponement, the campaign successfully reached its targets across the country. In Sindh, over 10.1 million children were vaccinated in 30 districts, while Punjab saw 8 million children immunized in 10 districts. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vaccinated 7 million children in 37 districts, and Balochistan administered the vaccine to 2.3 million children in 32 districts. Islamabad and two districts of Gilgit-Baltistan also participated, with an additional 443,000 and 140,000 children vaccinated, respectively. The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) commended the coordination among provincial administrations, health departments, partner organizations, and law enforcement agencies. The NEOC reiterated that while polio is incurable, it is entirely preventable, urging parents to ensure all children under five receive the drops during every campaign.",
  "summary": "• Security-related issues in Bannu remain biggest threat to eradication • Country expects sevenfold drop in polio cases this year ISLAMABAD: Health workers vaccinated more than 28.2 million children across Pakistan during a weeklong sub-national polio campaign , officials said, as the country expects a sevenfold decrease in cases this year. The vaccination drive, which ran simultaneously in…",
  "key_points": [
    "28.2 million children vaccinated in weeklong polio campaign in Pakistan and Afghanistan.",
    "Pakistan reported only four polio cases in 2026, down from 31 in 2025 and 74 in 2024.",
    "Security challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district threaten eradication efforts."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The significant decline in polio cases in Pakistan, coupled with a successful vaccination campaign, suggests that eradication efforts are gaining momentum, but security concerns in some districts remain a threat.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}