News Desk: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday inaugurated a province-wide anti-polio vaccination campaign, calling on parents and communities to play their role in safeguarding children from the life-long threat of polio.
The campaign aims to immunize more than 2.6 million children across the province through a coordinated effort involving around 11,000 vaccination teams. Health workers will operate door-to-door, while 822 fixed centres and 474 transit teams have been set up at bus terminals, highways and other key locations to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.
Speaking at the launch, the chief minister said Balochistan has made encouraging progress in recent months, with no polio case reported in the last 15 months. He noted that out of 23 districts, the poliovirus has been detected in environmental samples from only two areas, reflecting the impact of sustained and well-planned vaccination efforts.
Mir Sarfraz Bugti described 2026 as a decisive year in the fight against polio, stressing that the virus has already been eliminated from 93 percent of areas in Balochistan. He added that focused and organized measures are underway to clear the remaining 7 percent and achieve complete environmental eradication.
Warning that children can be exposed to the virus at any time, the chief minister urged parents to ensure their children receive polio drops during every campaign. He emphasized that polio is an incurable disease that can cause permanent disability, but is entirely preventable through timely vaccination.
“Protecting the health of our children is a shared responsibility,” he said, adding that missing even one child can put all children at risk. He reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to running an effective, well-coordinated campaign to reach every child and move Balochistan closer to a polio-free future.
