QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti formally launched a province-wide anti-polio campaign on Wednesday.
The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 2.6 million children across Balochistan.
Officials briefed the chief minister that 11,000 teams are taking part in the drive. These include 822 fixed teams and 474 transit teams deployed at key locations to ensure no child is missed.
Bugti said Balochistan has reported no polio case in the past 15 months, calling it an encouraging development.
He said environmental samples detected the poliovirus in only two areas out of 23 districts.
The chief minister said 2025 recorded major gains toward eliminating polio in the province. He described the current year as critical for eradicating the virus at the environmental level.
Bugti said 93 percent of Balochistan’s areas are now polio-free, while authorities are taking focused and effective measures in the remaining 7 percent.
He pledged that authorities will ensure full child coverage in 2026, continuing the same organized and effective strategy.
Bugti warned that children can contract polio at any time. He said vaccination remains essential to prevent the disease.
He urged parents to ensure their children receive polio drops, noting that polio causes irreversible disability.
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“Missing even one child puts all children at risk,” Bugti said. “Protecting children’s health is a shared responsibility.”
