Islamabad, 24 September 2025 — In a bold revision of its polio eradication campaign, Pakistan’s Ministry of Health has announced that, starting November, children up to 15 years of age will be included in vaccination drives. Until now, the focus had been on children under five. The initial rollout will be in Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta — cities deemed high-risk.

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Why the Change? A Shift in Strategy

Captain (Retd) Anwarul Haq, the national coordinator for the Polio Eradication Program, told Samaa TV that the altered age bracket stems from a recommendation by the Polio Eradication Technical Advisory Group. The rationale: repeated detection of the poliovirus in older children (beyond five years) in cities like Karachi and Lahore, despite multiple campaigns, suggests hidden transmission chains.

In other words: vaccinating only under-5s may no longer be enough to close immunity gaps in some hotspots.

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The Scale & Mechanics

• In Karachi, authorities expect to target around 4 million children under this expanded regimen.
• In Lahore, the figure is about 1.5 million.
• In Quetta, officials plan to introduce an injection-based campaign, to enhance immunity in harder-to-reach or higher-risk areas.

These figures make it one of the largest single expansions of scope in Pakistan’s recent polio efforts. ProPakistani+1

Because international funding has diminished (by about 20 percent), health officials are also planning to shorten campaign durations (from five days to three days in many areas) and reduce staffing at district/tehsil levels to save resources. ProPakistani+1

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Funding Crunch & International Support

Pakistan depends heavily on international donors for its polio program. About $250 million is spent annually, with much of this coming from USAID, UNICEF, WHO, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other global partners. ProPakistani+1

But the reduction in funding has forced tough choices. The Health Ministry has admitted that campaign duration, staffing, and operational flexibility will have to be scaled back to ensure sustainability. ProPakistani+1

In addition, global observers have warned that cuts—especially those by the U.S. or in WHO grant structures—could slow or reverse recent gains. Reuters+1

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Current Polio Landscape in Pakistan

As of 2025, the country has reported 27 polio cases. ProPakistani

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leads with 18 cases
• Sindh has reported 7
• Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan each have 1 case ProPakistani+1

Still, polio remains endemic in Pakistan—one of only two countries globally (the other being Afghanistan) where the wild poliovirus continues to circulate. Wikipedia+2World Health Organization+2

In fact, environmental surveillance (testing sewage, etc.) has consistently picked up poliovirus traces in key urban centers—signalling silent transmission even where clinical cases are few. World Health Organization+2PMC+2

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Risks, Challenges & What It Takes to Succeed

Expanding the vaccination age is a bold move, but it comes with hurdles:

• Logistics & manpower: Covering 10–15-year-olds adds complexity—schools, adolescent access, consent, outreach.
• Vaccine hesitancy / misinformation: Pakistan’s long history of skepticism toward vaccination (especially with false narratives about foreign interference) still lingers. PMC+2PMC+2
• Security concerns: Polio workers in Pakistan have long been vulnerable to attacks, especially in more volatile regions. AP News+2AP News+2
• Sustainability under funding strain: Cutting staff, reducing campaign length—these may erode quality or coverage if not managed carefully.
• Cross-border transmission: Pakistan and Afghanistan form a shared epidemiological zone. Transmission across the border can reintroduce the virus. GPEI+2World Health Organization+2

To succeed, authorities will need: strong community engagement (especially through schools and youth networks), agile field operations, effective surveillance (clinical + environmental), and renewed donor commitment.