Balochistan reaches key milestone in polio fight, says health minister

Quetta – The provincial health minister, Bakht Muhammad Kakar, announced that Balochistan has cleared a major hurdle in its battle against polio after all 23 environmental samples tested negative for the virus, ARY News reported. He added that the province has not recorded a single new polio case in the past two years, a result he linked to sustained effort and effective government policies.

Kakar highlighted the oversight provided by the Chief Minister of Balochistan and the Chief Secretary as essential to the achievement. He praised the dedication of polio workers, the health department and parents, noting that vaccination drives have continued despite security challenges and difficult terrain. The minister also remembered the bravery of frontline staff, saying the sacrifices of those who were killed or injured during vaccination campaigns will not be forgotten. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintain these measures until polio is fully eradicated from the province.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said a one‑week national anti‑polio campaign will begin on November 2, covering 97 selected districts across the country. During the drive, about 23.9 million children under five are expected to receive oral polio vaccine. The plan includes vaccinating roughly 9.278 million children in 13 districts of Punjab, 6.883 million in 20 districts of Sindh, 4.808 million in 27 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2.217 million in 31 districts of Balochistan. Additional targets are 447,000 children in Islamabad, 153,000 in three districts of Gilgit‑Baltistan, and 183,000 in two districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The NEOC urged parents to cooperate fully with vaccination teams, emphasizing that protecting children from polio is a shared responsibility.