ISLAMABAD: In a recent development towards healthy and polio free Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the final polio eradication drive of 2024, administering anti-polio vaccines to children and reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to eradicating the virus.
Speaking at the ceremony in Islamabad, PM gave emphasis to cooperation and collaboration among the provincial governments, along with international partners in this endeavor. He also urged parents to vaccinate their children against polio to avoid crippling consequences.
Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication, disclosed that about 400,000 polio workers would visit homes across 143 districts to vaccinate those children below five years of age.
Additionally, she urged parents to assist the polio teams in allowing them to vaccinate their children with the life-saving vaccine. Dr. Mukhtar Bharath, Coordinate on Health, said that this final drive sought to reach about 44 million children across the country.
This intensified effort comes following the recent surge in polio cases in Pakistan. The country has faced numerous challenges pertaining to polio eradication efforts, from militant resistance, misinformation campaigns, and poorly structured healthcare infrastructure.
Nonetheless, the government does ensure that its citizens-most importantly, children-are secured from the crippling effects of polio.
