As the nationwide polio campaign begins from Monday (tomorrow) to vaccinate over 45 million children, first lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has urged parents, caregivers, public representatives and community leaders to actively support the drive.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. So far, the country has recorded 30 polio cases, with the highest number of cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 19.

This will be the last polio campaign of the year, which will conclude on December 21.

“The success of the campaign depends on our collective responsibility, so we must ensure that every child under five years of age receives polio drops,” she said in a statement.

The campaign aims to vaccinate 45.4 million children nationwide, including 23.3 million in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, 7.3 million in KP and 2.66 million in Balochistan, with the remaining children covered in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad Capital Territory.

The drive is being conducted in coordination with Afghanistan’s December polio campaign to curb cross-border virus transmission.

Recalling the legacy of late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Aseefa said “Pakistan’s first nationwide polio eradication campaign was launched under her leadership in 1994, and her vision continued to guide national efforts to eliminate the disease.”

She shared that she feels a deep personal connection to the cause, remembering that her mother, as the former prime minister, personally administered the first polio drops to her.

“That moment marked the beginning of Pakistan’s national fight against polio and shaped my lifelong commitment to the effort,” she said.

Aseefa Bhutto shared that the campaign will follow a three-day house-to-house vaccination drive with one catch-up day. In high-risk areas, community-based vaccination and special mobile team strategies will be implemented, and the five-day campaign will be conducted with two additional catch-up days.

A total of 408,484 frontline polio workers, including area in-charges, union council medical officers and mobile, fixed and transit teams, have been deployed across the country.

Aseefa also called upon elected representatives, local government officials, religious leaders and community elders “to stand with polio teams, facilitate access to communities and help counter misinformation and hesitancy.”

She urged citizens to welcome vaccinators, report missed children and support frontline workers, saying that only united action can stop the virus and protect the future of Pakistan’s children.