PESHAWAR: With the first polio vaccination campaign of the current year set to begin tomorrow (Monday), authorities are facing challenges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s southern districts, which reported most cases in the province last year.

In 2025, KP recorded 20 of the 31 countrywide polio cases. Five of them came from the North Waziristan tribal district, four each from Lakki Marwat and Tank districts, three from Bannu district, two from Torghar district and one each from Dera Ismail Khan and Lower Kohistan districts, according to officials.

They said the district administration and health authorities had been issued strict instructions to address the issues related to the polio immunisation and ensure good quality campaigns, especially in endemic districts, to eliminate the crippling disease in 2026.

The officials said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emergency Operation Centre, which spearheaded the polio drive, was grappling with coping with the challenges posed by fake finger marking, refusals on medical and religious grounds and unavailability of children during door-to-door campaigns.

Officials say law and order situation, harsh weather major challenges in areas with high polio incidence

They said last year, the province brought down the tally of refusals almost by 50pc but the task ahead was to ensure that all 6.5 million targeted children in all districts got vaccinated.

Last Thursday, a meeting of the provincial task force chaired jointly by health minister Khaliqur Rehman and chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah reviewed preparations wherein strict instructions were issued to cope with the chronic issues hampering efforts to eradicate polio.

Officials said that 35,500 vaccination teams would be deployed across the province under stricter police security in light of violent incidents against vaccinators in the province.

They said though violence decreased due to foolproof security measures, as four policemen and one civilian were killed and three police officials suffered injuries last year.

The officials said overall, 96 people had been killed by “terrorists” in such campaigns since 2012.

They said that improvements in routine immunisation indicators, including BCG, Penta, MR and OPV coverage, showed that polio campaigns were strengthening the overall health system but the chronic problems would need much attention.

The officials said the district administrations had been tasked with dealing with people defying polio vaccination and convincing those denying drops on arguments that these aren’t allowed by Islam or the recipients could go infertile and impotent after being inoculated.

The task force meeting was also informed that special measures for 38 full and 25 partial UCs in seven snow-bound districts where full coverage to be ensured as soon as the weather improves and it was noted campaign quality has improved in recent times, with increased access to previously inaccessible areas. The number of children who missed vaccination is also on the decline.

The participants reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to a polio-free Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying coordinated field operations and community partnership will remain the cornerstone of the strategy.

They laid emphasis on the need for targeted interventions, focused micro-planning and frontline worker facilitation to address remaining gaps.

The participants said the use of digital monitoring systems, independent post-campaign assessments and rigorous data verification mechanisms had significantly improved the coverage.

Officials said the task force had been holding frequent meetings since mid-2025 due to which no case has been detected in 2026, but to achieve the target of zero cases this year, all children were immunised.

They said the law and order situation coupled with harsh weather conditions were basic challenges in areas, which reported high polio incidence.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2026