Health Minister Warns of Polio Risk After Samples Test Positive, Campaign Misses Target
Pakistan’s Federal Health Minister has issued a serious public health warning. Mustafa Kamal stated on Saturday that all environmental samples from Karachi and other Sindh districts tested positive for the poliovirus.
Minister Kamal urged extreme public caution in response. He warned that thousands of polio cases could surface in Sindh if children are not vaccinated proactively and immediately. Parents were strongly advised to ensure their children receive the compulsory polio vaccine.
2025’s Final Nationwide Campaign Falls Short
The urgent warning follows the disappointing results of Pakistan’s last major anti-polio drive. The final nationwide campaign of 2025, held from December 15 to 21, failed to reach its full target.
Overall, the campaign reached 98.6% of its goal. However, this left nearly 900,000 children without the crucial polio vaccination. No national or sub-national campaign throughout the entire year managed to meet its complete target.
Breaking Down the Missed Children
Official data provides a detailed breakdown of the 872,776 children who missed vaccination. The vast majority, 669,326 children, were simply not available at home during the vaccinators’ visits.
Security issues and local boycotts prevented access to 148,774 children. Furthermore, 54,676 parents refused to allow vaccinators to administer the drops to their children.
Provincial Breakdown of Unvaccinated Children
The problem is nationwide but concentrated in key provinces:
Punjab: 331,000 children unvaccinated
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Approximately 250,000 children
Sindh: 238,982 children (with 32,947 cases of parental refusal)
Balochistan: 43,339 children
Smaller numbers were also missed in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.
A Call for Action Amid Ongoing Challenges
Minister Kamal directly acknowledged that security issues have blocked vaccine access in some areas. The data on parental refusals, particularly in Sindh and KP, points to a significant trust and communication challenge.
The combination of positive environmental samples and a large cohort of unvaccinated children creates a high-risk scenario. Health authorities are calling for immediate public cooperation to prevent a major outbreak.
