Overview
- Pakistan’s second national campaign of 2026 began Monday, and hours into the drive gunmen attacked a police escort in Hangu, killing one officer and wounding four, with police saying two assailants were shot dead.
- The April 13–19 effort aims to vaccinate more than 45 million children under five through door-to-door teams that also provide Vitamin A to boost immunity.
- Punjab is targeting about 23.3 million children, with Lahore’s operation extended to seven days to better cover a district identified as a virus reservoir.
- Security has been tightened across provinces, including more than 24,000 police to protect 83,000 workers in Sindh and a rule in Rawalpindi that no team operates without a police escort.
- Leaders cite momentum—31 cases in 2025 and one so far in 2026, with steep declines in positive environmental samples used to track the virus in sewage—and say the campaign is coordinated with Afghanistan to cut cross-border spread.