Islamabad: First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has urged parents, caregivers, public representatives, and community leaders to actively support the Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign commencing on Monday. In a statement, she highlighted the collective responsibility required for the campaign’s success and called on families to ensure that every child under five receives polio drops.

According to Radio Pakistan, the campaign aims to vaccinate 45.4 million children across the country, including 23.3 million in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.3 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2.66 million in Balochistan. The remaining children will be covered in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory. The drive is being coordinated with Afghanistan’s December polio campaign to curb cross-border virus transmission.

Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari emphasized the increased risk of poliovirus spread during the winter season and stressed the importance of ensuring no child is missed. She explained that the campaign will involve a three-day house-to-house vaccination drive with one catch-up day. In high-risk areas implementing Community-Based Vaccination and Special Mobile Team strategies, a five-day campaign will be conducted with two additional catch-up days. A total of 408,484 frontline polio workers, including Area In-charges, Union Council Medical Officers, and mobile, fixed, and transit teams, have been deployed nationwide.

The First Lady also called upon elected representatives, local government officials, religious leaders, and community elders to support polio teams, facilitate access to communities, and help counter misinformation and hesitancy.