WHO Representative in Pakistan joined the Federal Health Minister, UNICEF and partners during the launch of a national measles-rubella campaign in Islamabad. Photo credit: WHO/Sara Akmal
ISLAMABAD, 19 November 2025 – The Government of Pakistan’s Federal Directorate for Immunization (FDI) – in partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO) – launched a national measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in Islamabad today to protect 34.6 million children.
The campaign runs from 17 to 29 November 2025 across all provinces and territories and aims to vaccinate children aged 6 months to 59 months against these deadly, preventable diseases. Vaccination will be provided at fixed centres, outreach sites, schools, and seminaries, and is available free of cost to all eligible children. The oral polio vaccine will also be provided to children under 5 in partnership with Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), whose teams will help carry out the measles and rubella campaign in collaboration with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).
"Today marks a pivotal moment for public health in Pakistan. We are resolute in our commitment to protect every child from preventable diseases like measles and rubella. This campaign is a testament to the strength of our national resolve and the invaluable partnerships we hold with WHO, Gavi, UNICEF, and all our collaborators. I urge all parents, teachers, and community leaders to ensure every child of our country aged 6 to 59 months receives this vaccine. Together, we are building a healthier, more resilient future for our children, ensuring that no child is left behind in our pursuit of universal health coverage,” said Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal.
“Protecting our children from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and rubella is a national priority. This campaign is a massive undertaking to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for our nation. The Government of Pakistan is committed to reaching every child and preventing tragic deaths caused by measles complications,” said Director General of the Federal Directorate for Immunization Dr. Soofia Yunus.
“The scientific evidence is clear: vaccines save lives and protect our children from deadly diseases like measles and rubella,” said WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Luo Dapeng. “WHO is proud to stand with Pakistan and the Federal Directorate of Immunization and support more than 140 000 health workers on the ground to leave no child behind, no matter where they live or who they are.”
Pakistan has registered over 17 000 measles cases this year across 475 union councils with an incidence rate of 66.65 measles cases per million – three times higher than the WHO threshold for measles outbreaks to be classified as "large and disruptive”.
Measles poses life-threatening risks, especially for children under 5. More than half of these cases were among zero-dose children — those who have not received any routine measles vaccine — underscoring the urgent need for this supplementary MR campaign. Measles is highly contagious: at least 95% vaccine coverage with 2 doses of measles/rubella vaccine is required to prevent outbreaks.
“Today marks an important milestone for children across Pakistan. The measles-rubella vaccine can protect millions of children from preventable and life-threatening diseases, giving children the chance to grow, learn, and thrive. UNICEF is proud to partner with the Government of Pakistan, WHO, and Gavi to ensure every child has the opportunity for a healthy future,” said Pernille Ironside, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.
Since 2000, measles vaccination has saved an estimated 60 million lives worldwide. Pakistan’s national measles and rubella vaccination campaign is an important step towards the global goal of eliminating measles and controlling rubella in lower-income countries by 2030.
Parents, teachers, and community leaders are urged to ensure all eligible children are vaccinated during the campaign to protect them from measles and rubella and secure a healthier future.
“Through our long-standing partnerships with Pakistan and other countries around the world, Gavi is working to strengthen immunization systems so that life-saving vaccines, including the measles and rubella vaccine, reach every child. This campaign is an important step towards closing immunity gaps nationwide,” said Carrie Gheen, Gavi’s Senior Country Manager for Pakistan.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF’s work in Pakistan, visit: https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/
For more information, please contact:
Karen Reidy, UNICEF Pakistan, +92 2038284385,
About Gavi
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organizations that fund Gavi’s work here.
Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunize a whole generation – over 1.2 billion children – and prevented more than 20.6 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower‑income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal and yellow fever vaccines. After two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube.
For more information:
Gavi’s work in Pakistan
VaccinesWork stories from communities in Pakistan
Contact: Eunice Kilonzo-Muraya, Gavi, +41 76 424 85 03
About WHO
Founded in 1948, WHO is the United Nations agency that connects nations, partners, and people to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. We work with 194 Member States in 150+ locations – so everyone, everywhere, can attain the highest level of health. For more information, visit https://www.emro.who.int/countries/pak/index.html.
Contact:
Dr José Ignacio Martín Galán, Head of Communications, WHO Pakistan,
