ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed concern that Pakistan is one of the two countries in the world facing the polio problem and ordered the relevant authorities to use all resources to rid the country of the crippling disease.
In a meeting with the Polio Eradication Team, the Prime Minister said that every child should be given the polio vaccine in areas facing security challenges. He said Pakistan has made significant progress in polio eradication as a result of the dedication of frontline workers, the commitment of the government and the cooperation of partners.
At a briefing for the Prime Minister on the eradication of polio, he was introduced to the two, four and six month plans.
It said that nine cases of polio were reported in 2024 and that nationwide polio vaccination campaigns would be launched in September, October and December this year.
The Prime Minister was told that the data of children who missed polio vaccinations has been digitized to ensure their vaccinations through digital tracking.
The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister’s coordinator for national health, Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed, Prime Minister’s Focal Point for Polio Eradication Dr. Ayesha Raza Farooq, Minister of National Health Dr. Nadeem Mehboon and National Polio Eradication Coordinator Muhammad Anwarul Haq.
