ISLAMABAD, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has successfully concluded its first nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2026, vaccinating more than 44.3 million children across the country, the National Emergencies Operation Center said on Monday.
According to official data, more than 22.9 million children were vaccinated in eastern Punjab province, 10.5 million in southern Sindh, 7.13 million in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 2.36 million in southwest Balochistan.
In other regions, over 455,000 children were vaccinated in the federal capital Islamabad, around 261,000 in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, and more than 673,000 in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Health authorities thanked all stakeholders for their cooperation and active participation, calling the nationwide drive a major step toward polio eradication.
Pakistan remains one of the two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, and authorities say sustained high-quality campaigns and cross-border coordination are critical to achieving eradication. ■