The World Health Organization is supporting the Government of Pakistan in a major preparatory effort to train over 140,000 health workers ahead of the nationwide measles and rubella (MR) campaign running from 17 to 29 November 2025. The campaign aims to reach 35.4 million children aged 6 to 59 months and to close immunity gaps that could leave more than 6.7 million children under five at increased risk of infection in 2026.
Training is being delivered as a comprehensive cascade tailored for vaccinators, team assistants and social mobilizers, with funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Sessions focus on quality microplanning, safe injection practices, community engagement and the management of adverse events following immunization, ensuring teams are ready to deliver effective measles vaccination services across diverse local settings.
In selected high-risk districts, polio drops will also be administered to children under five as part of a coordinated effort between Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative and the Expanded Programme on Immunization. PEI teams will support the MR campaign operations to maximise reach and efficiency where overlap exists between polio and measles protection activities.
WHO is providing technical guidance for planning, data analysis, readiness assessments and monitoring and evaluation, working closely with the Pakistan Federal Directorate of Immunization and provincial EPI programmes. This support is intended to strengthen campaign quality and to ensure timely, data-driven responses during the vaccination drive.
Measles and rubella remain a serious public health concern in Pakistan with outbreaks reported in 432 Union Councils across 101 districts. Pakistan’s measles incidence in 2025 reached 80 cases per million, about four times the threshold used to define large disruptive outbreaks. More than 16,000 measles cases were reported by 30 September 2025, and over 57% of these cases affected children who had received no routine measles vaccine, highlighting the urgent need to reach zero-dose children with measles vaccination.
Dr. Soofia Yunus, Director General of the Federal Directorate of Immunization, said the campaign is a national priority and emphasised the government’s commitment to reaching every child to prevent deaths and complications from measles. WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr. Luo Dapeng underscored the life-saving impact of vaccines and reiterated WHO’s commitment to stand with Pakistan in protecting children and leaving no child behind.
The combined efforts of trained health workers, provincial and federal immunization teams, and partners aim to bolster routine immunization, reduce susceptibility among young children and avert the potentially disruptive outbreaks that unchecked measles transmission can cause.
