Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a nationwide anti-polio campaign on Sunday, aiming for the complete eradication of the disease as Pakistan recorded 17 polio cases in 2024. The campaign, scheduled from September 9 to 15, targets 30 million children under the age of five across 115 districts.
Approximately 286,000 polio workers will visit homes door-to-door to administer polio drops during the campaign. The prime minister expressed his gratitude to international partners and organizations for their continued support in eradicating polio. He emphasized the importance of collaboration with provincial governments and health agencies in this fight.
“We are confident that our collective efforts will lead to the total eradication of polio from Pakistan, Insha’Allah,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz as he administered polio drops to children during the campaign’s launch ceremony.
Key attendees included Dr. Mukhtar Bharath, the PM’s Coordinator for Health, Ayesha Raza Farooq, the PM’s Special Representative for Polio Eradication, and officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and the United Nations.
The prime minister also urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated to prevent lifelong disability. Despite significant efforts, Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries, along with Afghanistan.
This campaign follows the recent detection of Islamabad’s first polio case in 16 years, raising concerns about the virus’s persistence. Polio primarily affects children under five, particularly those with weak immune systems. The disease can lead to paralysis and death, with vaccination being the only effective protection.
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