ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed on Thursday to intensify efforts to eradicate polio, amid persistent security threats and logistical hurdles that continue to undermine the campaign.
Addressing the anti-polio task force, he stressed the urgency of reaching every child with multiple vaccine doses, underscoring the government’s commitment to stamping out the crippling disease despite ongoing resistance and attacks on health workers.
“We will not allow polio to cripple our children or our future,” Sharif said, reiterating pledges made by his predecessors amid recurring outbreaks that have dogged the country for years.
While acknowledging progress credited to frontline workers, provincial authorities, and international partners, Sharif did not shy away from highlighting the risks faced by vaccination teams – who have been targeted by militants and met with public distrust in some regions.
“The safety of polio workers remains paramount,” he said, calling on law enforcement and all stakeholders to “redouble their efforts” in a campaign he described as a national priority.
Sharif also singled out international support, praising Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his comprehensive backing and lauding the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s role in sustaining the costly, complex fight against the virus.
A briefing during the meeting revealed new targeted campaigns in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – a known hotspot – tailored to overcome local barriers that have repeatedly stalled eradication efforts.
Officials acknowledged the dual challenge of vaccinating children and rooting out environmental reservoirs of the virus that allow it to persist in some districts.
Among those attending were senior figures from the Gates Foundation, World Health Organization, UNICEF, Saudi Arabia’s KS Relief, Rotary International, alongside Minister for National Health Services Mustafa Kamal, Minister of State for National Health Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, chief secretaries from all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Islamabad Capital Territory, alongside the National Coordinator for Polio Eradication.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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