Vaccination teams reach 7.07 million children in KP, but polio workers face renewed wave of attacks
KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA/ PESHAWAR:
Pakistan remains at a critical juncture in its decades-long battle against one of the world’s most preventable diseases. New data from National Immunization Days (NIDs) held in October 2025 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) offer both hope and warning: while the province achieved an impressive 99% vaccination coverage, the few remaining unvaccinated children still pose a serious threat to Pakistan’s polio-free goals.
According to official figures, vaccination teams reached 7.07 million children out of a target of 7.15 million, leaving just 1% unvaccinated and refusal down to just 0.3% across the province.
Districts such as Batagram, Mansehra, Torghar, Kohistan and Buner reported 100% coverage – a testament to the dedication of frontline health workers who continue to serve in challenging and often dangerous conditions. Yet behind these encouraging statistics lies one of Pakistan’s toughest public health battles—a battle not just against a virus, but also against mistrust, misinformation, inaccessibility and violence.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, once the epicenter of poliovirus transmission, remains the most difficult province due to its unique combination of security threats, population movements and deep-seated misconceptions about vaccination.
This year, polio workers and security personnel have faced a renewed wave of attacks, making 2025 one of the most dangerous years for those on the front lines. In several districts, particularly in southern KP and the tribal areas, vaccination teams and police escorts were targeted, disrupting campaigns and forcing temporary suspensions. Despite the threats, the health workers continued door-to-door efforts, often risking their lives to reach every household.
Read: Sindh warns of 20,000 polio cases if campaign falters
Officials from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) KP said that while near-universal coverage was achieved, some children – particularly in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Karak – remain “still unavailable” (NA) due to migration, insecurity or rejection. The latest data shows 84,572 children in this category, mainly from hard-to-reach and high-risk zones where displacement, bad roads and ongoing counter-terrorism operations impede access.
Over the past decade, Pakistan has made significant progress in reducing polio cases. In 2014, the country recorded more than 300 cases, the highest globally. By 2024, that number had dropped to single digits. Yet total eradication has remained elusive, hampered by uncertainty, vaccine hesitancy, and the continuous cross-border movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the world’s only two polio-endemic countries.
Misinformation remains one of the biggest barriers. Despite years of awareness campaigns, some families still believe false rumors that the vaccine causes infertility or that repeated doses are unnecessary. In conservative societies, such misunderstandings are often reinforced by social media and religious misinterpretations, creating pockets of resistance that health teams must patiently tackle door-to-door.
However, the NID data from October 2025 shows a sharp decline in refusals – only 0.3% of parents refused vaccination compared to more than 2% in previous years. Districts like Torghar, Chitral Upper and Kohistan reported zero refusals, reflecting growing public confidence. Health officials attribute this improvement to sustained communication efforts, engagement with local clergy and the persistence of female community health workers, whose personal outreach has helped change perceptions in conservative areas.
But the challenge is far from over. Polio remains a moving target – both literally and figuratively. Migrant families, seasonal workers, nomadic tribes and refugees often move between districts or across the Afghan border, creating gaps in coverage that the virus can exploit. Even a single missing child, experts warn, can reignite the infection.
Read more: How to eradicate polio?
Despite these obstacles, KP’s nearly 99% coverage is a remarkable achievement. Districts such as Peshawar, Swat, Mardan and Bajaur recorded strong results, vaccinating almost all targeted children. In Peshawar alone, more than 869,000 children were immunized – a dramatic turnaround for a city once labeled a “polio reservoir”. Officials credit the province’s “missing child mapping system” and real-time monitoring for improving accountability and campaign quality.
Health experts say the final phase of eradication is always the most difficult.
“Pakistan has reached a point where the virus survives only in the tiniest of cracks – the last few missing children, the last few unsafe neighborhoods,” said a senior EOC official in Peshawar. “But if we lose focus now, the virus will exploit these cracks and come back.”
The data from KP sends a strong message: Pakistan has the tools, commitment and public will to end polio, but it must maintain its momentum. Health worker safety must remain a top priority, misinformation must continue to be countered through community trust, and border coordination with Afghanistan must be strengthened to prevent the virus from circulating.
As the country moves closer than ever to eradicating the poliovirus, the sacrifices of frontline workers — many of whom have lost their lives — serve as a reminder that eradication is not just a health goal, but a national mission.
The path to a polio-free Pakistan is in sight, but it will require unwavering political commitment, community collaboration and continued protection of those who carry the vaccine from door to door.
