Islamabad: First Lady, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has urged parents, caregivers, public representatives, and community leaders to actively support the upcoming Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign, set from December 15 to 21, 2025, across all provinces and regions of the country.
She emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in ensuring the success of the campaign, urging families to make certain that every child under five receives polio drops. The initiative aims to vaccinate 45.4 million children nationwide, with significant numbers targeted in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, as well as in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory. The campaign is synchronized with Afghanistan’s efforts to curb cross-border virus transmission.
Recalling the legacy of her late mother, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, she noted that Pakistan’s first nationwide polio eradication campaign launched in 1994 under her leadership continues to guide efforts. She shared her personal connection to the cause, remembering that her mother, as Prime Minister, administered the first polio drops to her, marking the start of Pakistan’s national fight against polio.
The campaign will include a three-day house-to-house vaccination drive followed by a catch-up day. In high-risk areas, a five-day drive with two additional catch-up days will be conducted. A total of 408,484 frontline workers, including Area Incharges and Union Council Medical Officers, will be deployed.
Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari appealed to elected representatives, local officials, religious leaders, and community elders to support polio teams, facilitate community access, and help counter misinformation and hesitancy.
She highlighted that campaign preparedness was reviewed at a national readiness meeting on December 11, chaired by the Federal Minister for National Health Services, alongside Provincial Task Force meetings to ensure security, logistics, and coordination. The campaign has been formally launched, with technical experts deployed in high-risk areas for supervision and support.
She urged citizens to welcome vaccinators, report missed children, and support frontline workers, emphasizing that united action is crucial to stopping the virus and protecting the future of Pakistan’s children.