During the campaign, polio drops were administered to more than 22.9 million children in Punjab, over 10.5 million in Sindh, more than 7.13 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and over 2.3 million in Balochistan. More than 455,000 children were vaccinated in Islamabad, around 261,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan and over 673,000 in Azad Kashmir.
The campaign was postponed in the Balochistan districts of Mastung, Gwadar, Chagai and Awaran over security concerns. Officials said 0.14 per cent of targeted children were recorded as refusals, with 31,000 refusals from Karachi forming the largest share.
During the drive, a police constable assigned to protect a polio team, 35-year-old Maqsood, was shot dead by unidentified attackers in the Kaahi area of Nizampur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while female health workers were administering drops to children inside a home.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus is still endemic. Health officials continue to urge parents to have their children vaccinated so the disease can be eradicated completely.
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