ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme has announced a 28% increase in the daily stipend of polio vaccination workers in appreciation of their commitment towards protecting children’s health.
The new daily compensation will be implemented in the next polio vaccination campaign, as stated by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).
Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Coordinator for Polio Eradication at the Prime Minister’s Office, has stated that the increase is justified by the significant services and commitment of polio vaccination workers in the elimination of polio from the country.
She also announced that 21-27 September will witness the next sub-national polio vaccination campaign in 115 districts of the country.
In this campaign, more than 31 million children will receive oral polio vaccine drops. The vaccination will contribute to the prevention of virus transmission in the country and further eradication of polio.
Decline in Polio Cases
The rate of polio virus detection in environmental samples has declined to 13.1% during the first six months of the ongoing year.
The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) said that 127 environmental samples were collected for polio surveillance in June 2026, of which 117 tested negative while the polio virus was detected in 10 samples only.
On a six-month comparison basis, the number of positive environmental samples dropped from 369 to 100, reflecting a decline in virus detection across the country.
According to the NEOC, all 31 environmental samples collected from Punjab tested negative for polio.
In Sindh, 28 out of 29 samples were found negative, while in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 30 out of 34 samples tested negative. In Balochistan, 18 out of 23 samples were found to be negative.
The NEOC further stated that three polio cases have been confirmed in Pakistan so far in 2026.
Polio vaccine
The centre said efforts to eradicate polio are being strengthened by improving vaccination coverage and access, with a commitment to ensure that every child across the country receives the polio vaccine.
The government has also urged parents and religious scholars to support the national polio eradication campaign, while polio workers were described as national heroes who, the government said, should be respected.
