Ayesha Raza Farooq

New Capabilities

Leading national eradication efforts

When the Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched in 1988, wild poliovirus paralyzed 350,000 children annually across 125 countries. Today, the disease survives in only two: Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan's nationwide vaccination campaign from February 2-8, 2026, reached 44.3 million of 45 million targeted children under five across 159 districts—achieving over 98% coverage in the final push to eliminate a disease that would become only the second human pathogen ever eradicated, after smallpox.

Updated Feb 13