The World Health Organization (WHO) is partnering with the Government of Pakistan to train over 140 000 health workers for an upcoming nationwide measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign that aims to protect 35.4 million children aged 6 to 59 months. The preventive drive – scheduled for 17 to 29 November 2025 – will supplement routine immunization efforts and tackle an immunity gap that could otherwise place over 6.7 million children under 5 at high risk of being infected in 2026.
In selected high-risk districts, polio drops will also be administered to children under 5 in partnership with Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), whose teams will also support the measles and rubella campaign as part of a collaboration between PEI and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).
With funding support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, comprehensive cascade training sessions supported by WHO are being conducted for health workers, including vaccinators, team assistants and social mobilizers. The sessions are adapted for each team and cover aspects such as quality microplanning, safe injection practices, community engagement and management of adverse events following immunization (AEFI).
WHO support for the campaign includes technical guidance for planning, data analysis, readiness assessments and monitoring and evaluation, in close collaboration with the Pakistan Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI) and its EPI programme at the federal and provincial levels.
Measles and rubella pose a significant public health threat in Pakistan, with outbreaks reported in 432 Union Councils across 101 districts. In 2025, Pakistan registered an incidence rate of 80 measles cases per million which is 4 times higher than the WHO threshold for measles outbreaks to be classified as "large and disruptive" – more than 20 reported cases per million population over a period of 12 months.
As of 30 September, over 57% of the more than 16 000 measles cases reported in 2025 affected zero-dose children (children who have not received any routine measles vaccine), underscoring the urgent need to reach every child.
