Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressing concern over Pakistan being one of the two countries in the world facing the challenge of polio, directed the authorities concerned to utilise all-out resources to rid the country of the crippling disease.
The prime minister, in a meeting with a polio eradication team, said every child should be administered polio vaccine in the areas facing security challenge. He said Pakistan made a significant headway in polio eradication consequent to the dedication of the front line workers, determination of the government and cooperation by the partners.
In a briefing to the prime minister about the polio eradication, he was apprised of two, four and six-month plans.
It was told that nine polio cases had been reported in 2024 and that countrywide polio vaccination drives would be launched in September, October and December this year.
The prime minister was told that the data of the children missed from polio vaccination had been digitised to ensure their vaccination through digital tracking.
Coordinator to Prime Minister on National Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed, PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Dr Ayesha Raza Farooq, Secretary National Health Dr Nadeem Mehboon and National Coordinator on Polio Eradication Muhammad Anwarul Haq attended the meeting.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed concern over the emergence of new polio cases in the country while presiding over a meeting to review the affairs of the National Health Ministry at the PM House in Islamabad.
Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. The country has made significant efforts to eradicate the disease, including organized nationwide polio vaccination campaigns. However, challenges such as parental refusal, misinformation and security issues have hindered full eradication.
Pakistan reported its fifth polio case this week after a two-year-old child from Quetta, Balochistan, passed away, saying he was suffering from the disease.
“We will utilize all national resources and partner help to ensure the complete eradication of polio from the country,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement circulated after the meeting.
Pakistan has been working closely with various international donors and agencies, including the World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to eradicate polio.
These collaborations focus on funding, providing vaccines and supporting public health campaigns to increase vaccination coverage and monitor polio cases across the country, especially in high-risk areas.
The prime minister also announced the construction of the Quaid-e-Azam Health Tower in Islamabad, saying it would meet international standards and directed the immediate preparation of a plan to build the facility under public-private partnership.
He instructed that the health tower should include top-quality hospitals, a medical university, a nursing university, modern technology-equipped laboratories and diagnostic centers for diseases.
“The health sector is an extremely important and sensitive sector, tasked with the crucial duty of saving human lives,” he said. “I will personally oversee health-related matters in Islamabad.”
