Vaccination teams reach 7.07 million children in KP, but polio workers face new wave of attacks
KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA / PESHAWAR:
Pakistan remains at a critical juncture in its decades-long fight against one of the world’s most preventable diseases. New data from the National Immunization Days (NIDs) held in October 2025 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) offer both hope and warning: while the province has achieved an impressive 99% vaccination coverage, the few remaining unvaccinated children still pose a serious threat to the goal of polio-free Pakistan.
According to official figures, vaccination teams reached 7.07 million children out of a target of 7.15 million, leaving just 1% unvaccinated and refusals at 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 difficult and often dangerous conditions. Yet behind these encouraging statistics lies one of Pakistan’s toughest public health battles: a fight not only against a virus but also against distrust, misinformation, inaccessibility and violence.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, once the epicenter of poliovirus transmission, remains the most challenging province due to its unique combination of security threats, population movements and deep-rooted misconceptions about vaccination.
This year, polio workers and security personnel have faced a new wave of attacks, making 2025 one of the most dangerous years for those on the front lines. In several districts, including southern KP and tribal areas, vaccination teams and police escorts were targeted, disrupting campaigns and imposing temporary suspensions. Despite the threats, health workers continued their door-to-door efforts, often risking their lives to reach every home.
Read: Sindh warns of 20,000 polio cases if campaign fails
KP Emergency Operations Center (EOC) officials said that while near universal coverage has been achieved, some children – particularly in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Karak – remain “still unavailable” (NA) due to migration, insecurity or refusal. The latest data shows 84,572 children in this category, mainly from hard-to-reach, high-risk areas where displacement, poor road conditions and ongoing counter-terrorism operations hamper 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 figure in the world. By 2024, that number had dropped to single digits. Yet total eradication remains elusive, hampered by insecurity, vaccine hesitancy and continued cross-border movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the only two countries in the world where polio is endemic.
Misinformation remains one of the main obstacles. Despite years of awareness campaigns, some families still believe false rumors that the vaccine causes infertility or that repeated doses are unnecessary. In conservative communities, these misconceptions are often amplified by social media and religious misinterpretations, creating pockets of resistance that health teams must confront patiently, door-to-door.
However, NID data from October 2025 show a sharp drop in refusals: only 0.3% of parents refused vaccination, compared to more than 2% in previous years. Districts such as Torghar, Chitral Upper and Kohistan reported no refusals, reflecting growing public confidence. Health officials attribute the improvement to sustained communications efforts, the commitment of local clergy, and the perseverance of community health workers, whose personal action helped change perceptions in conservative areas.
But the challenge is far from over. Polio remains a moving target, literally and figuratively. Migrant families, seasonal workers, nomadic tribes and refugees frequently move between districts or across the Afghan border, creating gaps in coverage that the virus can exploit. Even a single missed child, experts warn, can restart transmission.
Learn more: How to eradicate polio?
Despite these obstacles, the almost 99% coverage of KP is a remarkable achievement. Districts such as Peshawar, Swat, Mardan and Bajaur have recorded good results, vaccinating almost all targeted children. In Peshawar alone, more than 869,000 children have been vaccinated – a dramatic turnaround for a city once labeled a “polio reservoir”. Officials credit the province’s “missed child mapping system” and real-time monitoring with improving the accountability and quality of the campaign.
Health experts say the last stage of eradication is always the most difficult.
“Pakistan has reached a point where the virus survives only in the tiniest cracks – the last missed children, the last unsafe neighborhoods,” said a senior COE official in Peshawar. “But if we lose focus now, the virus will exploit these cracks and come back. »
The KP data sends a powerful message: Pakistan has the tools, commitment and public will to end polio, but it must maintain momentum. The safety of health workers must remain a top priority, misinformation must continue to be combatted through community trust, and coordination at the borders with Afghanistan must be strengthened to prevent the circulation of the virus.
As the country moves closer than ever to eradicating poliovirus, the sacrifices of frontline workers – many of whom lost their lives – are 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 cooperation and continued protection for those who carry the vaccine from door to door.
