Frontline health workers in Pakistan are playing a central role in the country’s ongoing fight against polio, as part of a nationwide vaccination campaign aimed at protecting around 45 million children from paralysis caused by the disease. One of these workers, Faiza, describes her work as a personal mission to ensure no child is left behind, as she travels door to door to administer vaccines and raise awareness among families. Her efforts reflect the commitment of more than 413,000 trained health workers mobilized across the country during the April 2026 polio campaign.
The campaign, implemented by Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and international partners including the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), reached communities across the country between 13 and 19 April. Teams of vaccinators visited millions of households regardless of location or socioeconomic status, ensuring widespread access to life-saving protection against polio.
Pakistan has made significant progress in reducing polio cases over the past three decades, with a 99.8% decline since the 1990s. However, health experts emphasize that continued vaccination efforts remain essential, as the disease persists in a small number of countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sustained campaigns are considered critical to achieving global eradication.
Health workers such as Saima, a former teacher, describe their participation as both a professional duty and a personal commitment to safeguarding children from lifelong disability. Working in small teams, vaccinators reach hundreds of homes during each campaign, reinforcing the importance of community-level engagement in disease prevention.
WHO continues to provide technical and operational support to Pakistan’s polio programme, which includes large-scale vaccination drives, surveillance systems, outbreak response, and training for health workers, many of whom are women. Financial and logistical support from international donors has also been vital in sustaining these efforts and ensuring the programme’s reach across the country.
Other workers, including nursing students and community volunteers, highlight how participation in the campaign also provides valuable field experience, income support, and a sense of service to their communities. Together, these efforts form the backbone of Pakistan’s polio eradication strategy, with health workers consistently reaching families at the doorstep.
Supported by national and international partners, Pakistan’s polio programme continues to focus on uninterrupted vaccination coverage as a key step toward eliminating the disease entirely. Health authorities stress that every successful campaign brings the country closer to a polio-free future for all children.
