On the appeal of the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan has decided to cooperate with Afghanistan for polio eradication.
According to sources, Pakistan and Afghanistan have once again decided to conduct a polio campaign simultaneously, which will take place next month. The World Health Organization had recommended this to both countries.
Sources say that the purpose of the simultaneous polio campaign is to reach as many children as possible. Therefore, the anti-polio campaign will be carried out across Pakistan and Afghanistan next month. In Pakistan, it will be conducted in 169 districts, while in Afghanistan it will cover 382 districts.
More than 45.3 million children will be vaccinated against polio in Pakistan. Fixed and mobile polio teams will be deployed at the Pak-Afghan border, and all children will be vaccinated at crossing points. The campaign will cover children up to six years of age.
According to sources, simultaneous polio campaigns between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been conducted in the past as well. During 2025, 31 polio cases were reported in Pakistan and 9 in Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two remaining countries in the region affected by polio, and both face international travel restrictions due to the disease.
The WHO has classified Pakistan and Afghanistan as a single block in terms of polio.
