Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has officially launched a seven-day national anti-political campaign through the administration of polio drops to children during a public event on Sunday.
When heading to the meeting, the prime minister asked the parents throughout the country to cooperate completely with the anti-political field teams to ensure that each child is vaccinated. He stressed that eliminating Pakistan poliovirus can be achieved through collective national efforts.
He expressed confidence in the effectiveness of the current strategy and pointed out that comprehensive and solid security agreements have been implemented to safeguard health workers who participate in the campaign. He also underlined the critical role of public awareness and the mobilization of the community in the fight against polyomyelitis.
In his comments, Prime Minister Shehbaz extended the sincere thanks to international partners, particularly the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for its unwavering support in Pakistan’s continuous efforts to eradicate polyomyelitis.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal, acknowledged that although significant investigation is being carried out in the Pakistan health sector, the implementation remains a critical deficiency. He also noted that Afghanistan is making more effective efforts to eradicate polyomyelitis compared to Pakistan.
The Minister made these comments while heading to a ceremony organized by the Health Research Board in Karachi.
Highlighting regional progress, Kamal revealed that Afghanistan can succeed in eliminating polio before Pakistan. “I hope that both Pakistan and Afghanistan can achieve polio eradication,” he added, emphasizing the need for stronger and more coordinated efforts.
