During Pakistan’s second nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2025 (conducted from April 21 to 27), thousands of cases of polio vaccine refusal were reported. A total of 60,906 refusal cases were recorded, with Sindh leading the count 39,073 cases were reported from the province alone.
In Karachi, over 37,000 parents refused to allow their children to be vaccinated. Balochistan reported more than 3,500 vaccine refusals, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded a refusal rate of 0.4%. Cases were also reported from Punjab and Islamabad.
Vaccine Refusal and the Health Minister’s Claim
On May 19, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal met with Dr. Chris Elias, President of Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Elias appreciated the foundation’s collaboration with Pakistan in the fight against polio.
During the meeting, the Government of Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating polio. Minister Mustafa Kamal stated that federal and provincial governments as well as law enforcement agencies are fully united in the fight to eliminate the virus.
He informed Dr. Elias that improved quality campaigns and community engagement have led to a significant decrease in vaccine refusals. He expressed confidence that Pakistan is on track to eliminate polio by the end of 2025.
Dr. Elias praised the ongoing efforts and expressed hope for achieving the polio eradication goal this year.
Minister Kamal assured that full support and resources are being allocated for the anti-polio drive. He highlighted that Pakistan and Afghanistan are working closely together, conducting synchronized polio campaigns.
He further noted that national anti-polio campaigns in February and April were successfully completed, and a countrywide campaign launched on May 26 aims to vaccinate 45.4 million children against polio.
