cdc pakistan travel

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

About the Global Health Center
Global Health Strategic Framework
Our Organization
Divisions and Offices
Our Success Stories
Partnerships
Where We Work
Regional Offices
Global Health Observances
Our Newsletter

CDC in Pakistan

At a glance.

CDC Pakistan works with the Government of Pakistan and partners on various public health initiatives. Pakistan is part of CDC’S Middle East/North Africa regional platform which includes 25 countries, one regional office based in Oman, and the CDC Pakistan country office. Key activities focus on strengthening health systems as part of global health security as well as preventing and controlling polio, viral hepatitis, and other infectious diseases.

Green with a vertical white band on the left (hoist) side. A large white crescent and star are centered in the green field.

CDC has engaged with partners in Pakistan for more than 3 decades and established an in-country team in 2016. CDC works with several public health institutions in Pakistan, including the National Institute of Health (NIH) and provincial and district-level offices.

Alongside partners, CDC works to strengthen capacity and infrastructure for key public health issues, including:

Global health security

Emergency and pandemic preparedness
Polio eradication
Hepatitis surveillance

Strategic focus

Pakistan’s National Public Health Institute (NPHI) strengthens the country’s capabilities to detect and respond to health threats. NPHI partners with other institutes to focus on research, environmental and occupational health, nutrition, non-communicable diseases, and vaccines.

CDC helped Pakistan complete the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) in 2023. The JEE evaluates public health capacities to help countries understand gaps in their national health security and focus on closing them.

CDC’s efforts help Pakistan increase capacities for disease surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce development, and emergency management and response.

Disease surveillance

CDC strengthens influenza surveillance in Pakistan through a cooperative agreement with the Pakistan NIH. Since 2004, five surveillance sites were established to conduct surveillance for influenza-like illness in outpatient settings. These sites also conduct surveillance for severe acute respiratory illness among hospitalized patients.

Pakistan is the only country where extensively drug resistant typhoid fever is regularly occurring. CDC works with local government, Field Epidemiology Training Program, and health security partners to expand surveillance for typhoid and waterborne diseases. CDC also enhances typhoid prevention and response efforts.

CDC engages in several projects related to many bacterial diseases in Pakistan.

Laboratory strengthening

The Global Laboratory Leadership Program (GLLP) began its first phase in Pakistan in 2019. GLLP strengthens the country's laboratory leadership and management capabilities, which are key functions in public health preparedness and response. The first cohort of GLLP in Pakistan graduated in 2023.

Four of Pakistan’s five disease surveillance sites established on-site laboratory capabilities for influenza testing to enhance rapid detection of influenza outbreaks.

Workforce development

CDC has supported Pakistan's Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) since 2006. The Pakistan FELTP includes two tiers:

FELTP-Advanced prepares epidemiologists for national-level public health leadership.
FELTP-Frontline trains health workers as community-level epidemiologists.

FELTP has been a key technical asset during several health emergencies and was instrumental in establishing Pakistan’s first hepatitis surveillance sites. Ownership of the FELTP was officially transferred to the Government of Pakistan in December 2021.

Key achievements

Establishing a CDC-supported national database to track influenza and hepatitis activity.
FELTP fellows and graduates respond to several epidemics and emergencies.

Pakistan is one of two countries where the spread of wild poliovirus has never been interrupted. As a key partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) , CDC has strengthened polio eradication and immunization activities since 2012. CDC also partners with the GPEI Afghanistan and Pakistan Hub in Amman, Jordan to accelerate polio eradication efforts.

CDC's goals include:

Optimize surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (rapid onset of weakness or paralysis), which can be an indication of polio infection.
Increase quality of supplemental immunization activities, such as mass polio immunization campaigns.
Reduce the number of children missed during immunization campaigns.
Increase vaccine acceptance through integrated service delivery and improved collaboration between GPEI and the Expanded Programme on Immunization .
Improve data usage, compatibility of health information systems, and data-based risk and impact assessment for real time decision making at national, provincial, and district levels.
The smaller geographic spread of wild poliovirus cases shows notable progress toward polio eradication.
All wild poliovirus cases since 2021 were reported from only 4 out of 171 districts.
Through NSTOP, CDC supports more than 80 Pakistani public health government professionals in 65 districts with high risk of polio.
This spans across Islamabad and the Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan provinces.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

CDC works to improve healthcare infection prevention and control (IPC) and slow the spread of AMR in Pakistan. CDC helps increase local capacity to detect, track, and report drug-resistant fungi like Candida auris and other organisms.

CDC also supports whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of multidrug-resistant organisms. WGS can increase understanding of how healthcare-related spread of pathogens might be driving the spread of AMR in Pakistani communities.

CDC helps increase local capacities to:

Detect invasive candidemia.
Implement IPC practices at 12 sentinel hospitals.
Conduct WGS and molecular characterization of AMR Candida auris.

CDC and partners:

Implemented an IPC project at 10 large public hospitals.
Trained more than 500 hospital staff to prevent the spread of infections.

Viral hepatitis

Pakistan continues to experience spread of all forms of viral hepatitis. The country has one of the highest hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates in the world. It is estimated 4 to 5% of the population lives with HCV.

CDC has provided financial and technical support to viral hepatitis prevention and control in Pakistan for over 15 years. CDC continues to work with local partners to identify priority activities for implementation.

CDC serves on the Technical Advisory Board for the Pakistan National Committee on Hepatitis.
More than 24,000 people have been screened for hepatitis C, as of December 2021.
More than 300 people diagnosed with chronic HCV infection were treated in informal urban settlements in Islamabad, as of December 2021.

NOTICE October 25, 2024

Crisis support for u.s. citizens in lebanon.

Travel Advisories |
Contact Us |
MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents.

Share this page:

Pakistan Travel Advisory

Travel advisory september 10, 2024, pakistan - level 3: reconsider travel.

Reissued after periodic review with updates to reflect the security environment.

Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to  terrorism . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do not travel to: 

Balochistan province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to  terrorism.
The immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to  terrorism  and  the potential for armed conflict .

Country Summary: Violent extremist groups continue to plot attacks in Pakistan. Terrorist attacks are frequent in Balochistan and KP, including the former FATA. Large-scale terrorist attacks have resulted in numerous casualties, and small-scale attacks are frequent. Terrorism and ongoing violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilian, as well as local military and police targets. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, military installations, airports, universities, tourist attractions, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and government facilities. Terrorists have targeted U.S. diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past.

Local law prohibits protesting or demonstrating without a permit. Being near a protest can draw scrutiny from Pakistani security forces. U.S. citizens have been detained for participating in protests and for posting content on social media perceived as critical of the Pakistani government, military, or officials. Internet and mobile phone service outages are common, especially during protests.

Pakistan’s security environment remains fluid, sometimes changing with little or no notice. There are greater security resources and infrastructure in the major cities, particularly Islamabad, and security forces in these areas may be more readily able to respond to an emergency compared to other areas of the country.

The government of Pakistan restricts the travel of U.S. government personnel working in Pakistan. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide services to U.S. citizens in KP, Balochistan, Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, and most areas outside of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi as U.S. government personnel must obtain special authorization to travel to those locales. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates require U.S. government personnel to use armed escorts and armored vehicles when traveling in certain parts of the country, both for official and personal travel. Additional restrictions on movements can occur suddenly and at any time, depending on local circumstances and security conditions. U.S. government personnel on assignment in Pakistan are prohibited from attending most large gatherings.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates have a limited ability to provide consular services to dual U.S.-Pakistani citizens who have been arrested or detained as Pakistani law considers such individuals to be citizens of Pakistan.

The U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar does not provide consular services. Services for U.S. citizens are available from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, and the U.S. Consulate General in Lahore.

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Pakistan.

If you decide to travel to Pakistan:      

Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas . 
Monitor local media for breaking events and be prepared to adjust your plans.
Vary your travel routes and timing. 
Remain aware of your surroundings, particularly around public markets, restaurants, police installations, places of worship, government and military institutions, and other locations.
Be cognizant of local events. Avoid demonstrations or other large gatherings.
Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
Keep travel documents up to date and easily accessible.
Obtain travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuations.
Review local laws and conditions before traveling.
Share important documents, login information, and points of contact with loved ones so they can manage your affairs if you are unable to return as planned to the United States. Find a suggested list of such documents here.
Develop a communication plan with family and/or your employer or host organization.
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program ( STEP ) to receive security alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. 
Follow the Department of State on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter . 
Review the Country Security Report for Pakistan. 
U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergencies. Review the Traveler’s Checklist .

Balochistan Province – Level 4: Do Not Travel 

Do not travel to Balochistan province. Extremist groups, including an active separatist movement, have conducted deadly terrorist attacks against civilians, religious minorities, government offices, and security forces.

Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .  

KP Province, including the former FATA – Level 4: Do Not Travel

Do not travel to KP province, which includes the former FATA. Active terrorist and insurgent groups routinely conduct attacks against civilians, non-governmental organizations, government offices, and security forces. These groups historically have targeted both government officials and civilians. Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common, including the targeting of polio eradication teams and Government of Pakistan security service (police and military) personnel.

Vicinity of Line of Control – Level 4: Do Not Travel 

Do not travel to the India-Pakistan border, including areas along the Line of Control. Militant groups are known to operate in the area. India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the border. The only official Pakistan-India border crossing point for persons who are not citizens of India or Pakistan is in the province of Punjab between Wagah, Pakistan, and Atari, India. Travelers are advised to confirm the status of the border crossing prior to commencing travel. An Indian visa is required to enter India, and no visa services are available at the border.

Travel Advisory Levels

Assistance for u.s. citizens, pakistan map, search for travel advisories, external link.

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

We’re sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments. Exception: request blocked