ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched the first countrywide anti-polio campaign of the year, aiming to completely eliminate the poliovirus from the country.
The Prime Minister, while addressing the launching ceremony of the year’s first drive, which will be started today (Monday) [February 3 to 9], reaffirmed his government’s resolve to eradicate the disease. The premier launched the drive by administering polio drops to children under the age of five.
Sharif said that the national polio vaccination drive would target millions of children in the country to protect their health and future. He acknowledged the hard work of the dedicated teams who would work tirelessly to reach even the most remote areas, ensuring no child is left behind.
The premier said that, unfortunately, during the last year, a total of 77 polio cases were reported in the country, which posed a significant setback in the battle against the disease. This year, only one case was reported, he said, and he expressed the resolve to eradicate polio at all costs with dedicated teamwork and support from the international partners.
He also expressed the optimism that with international coordination and support, the crippling disease in the neighbouring brotherly country, Afghanistan, would end.
The prime minister praised all the international partners, including World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Bill Gates Foundation, and the brotherly country Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), for their commitment and efforts to the government in its efforts to eliminate polio.
Prime Minister Coordinator on National Health Services Dr Mukhtar Bharat, speaking on the occasion, said that they had highlighted the number of polio cases that were reported last year and did not hide it from the international community.
He said that a positive outcome was being felt with concerted efforts by all the quarters, and only one case was reported this year.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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