The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has worked hand in hand with governments and global partners to eradicate poliovirus worldwide, bringing about a substantial 99% reduction in global cases. However, w ild poliovirus - remains endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and interrupting virus transmission in this one epidemiological block is critical to reaching zero polio.

Benefiting from the unwavering commitment of the Government of Pakistan, the National Polio Eradication Programme remains steadfast in its mission to eradicate poliovirus, ensuring a healthier future for children, both within the country and globally. Despite significant strides, several challenges persist, leaving a significant number of children with suboptimal immunity due to the complex socioeconomic and security environment in the - polio high-risk areas. Besides the programme’s - operational gaps, inconsistent access to all vulnerable children on account of insecurity, vaccine hesitancy, refusals, demand-based boycotts and massive population movements continue to hinder achieving zero polio in the country. To finish the job, the Programme has developed a detailed, comprehensive roadmap to enhance operational and managerial capacities to eradication levels and ensure that the circulation of poliovirus is interrupted across the country by June 2025.

The roadmap consists of Three phases:

  • Phase I: Resetting the Programme to Eradication Level (2 Months: July and August 2024)
  • Phase II: Reversing Current Virological Trends (4 Months:  From September to December 2024)
  • Phase III: Targeting Remaining Virus Pockets (6 Months: From January to June 2025)

To ensure high-quality implementation of the roadmap and enhance access to all activities, programme oversight and accountability will be strengthened, together with a focus on improving security and access, as well as Migrant and Mobile Population (MMP) tracking and vaccination and improved coordination with the Afghanistan program throughout in all three phases of the roadmap.

Each phase will address key programmatic components, which are:

  • Renewed Oversight & Accountability through revitalizing and empowering a strong core group empowered to take decisions; data-driven and participatory decision-making by multidisciplinary Task Teams (comprised of multiple organizations) across priority areas of work; critical reviews by the National Polio Management T eam and linking performance with meticulous accountability.
  • Implementing High Quality Polio Supplementary Immunization Activities through implementing multiple nationwide and sub-national polio vaccination campaigns; reaching missed children through additional complementary activities; addressing operational gaps; resolving community boycotts and addressing the overall mistrust in the population through more effective community engagement. Priority will be given to ensuring the full synchronization of SIAs with the Afghanistan programme.
  • Rapid outbreak response activities and prevent importation of the virus through risk based aggressive outbreak response for each poliovirus detection, amplifying vaccination for special populations, preventing re-establishment of virus transmission, enhancing cross-border coordination with Afghanistan and increasing the scope and reliability of campaign monitoring.
  • Addressing gaps on the critical path to achieving and sustaining polio eradication through focused EPI-PEI synergy, reducing the number of zero dose and defaulter children for routine immunization in the highest risk UCs and districts for polio eradication, and Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) including Health Camps.
  • Enhancing communities' trust in vaccination and promoting it as a collective societal responsibility (social norm) using Integrated Human-Centered Design (HCD) and behavioral insights into social behavior change interventions, communication strategy, media, advocacy and partnerships.
  • Sustaining gains through relapse prevention strategies from the 2nd half of 2025 to 2026 by maintaining high surveillance sensitivity, implementing a robust polio SIA calendar, mounting a rapid outbreak response and ensuring outbreak preparedness, as well as achieving and maintaining high routine immunization coverage throughout the country.

National Emergency Action Plan (July 2024 - June 2025) : https://www.endpolio.com.pk/images/reports/NEAP.pdf