Working to End Polio in Pakistan

Eradicating Polio is Rotary's top priority and Rotary is committed to fighting Polio until every child is vaccinated and safe from this devastating disease. Polio is still endemic in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria but with just three cases reported this year, Pakistan is close to completely eradicating the disease. Pakistan health authorities last week launched a week long vaccination campaign in a bid to eradicate polio hoping to vaccinate 19.2m children under five years of age. 

Pakistan regularly carries out anti-polio drives despite threats from the Taliban who claim the campaign is a Western conspiracy to sterilise children making these campaigns very dangerous.

Dr Rana Safdar, the campaign’s national coordinator, says the campaign, which will last for 4 days in some areas, was launched on Monday 06 August amid tight security in 89 districts and towns and a total of 110,000 health workers will fan out to vaccinate the children.