PM vows to make Pakistan- a polio free country

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed the government’s resolve to make Pakistan a polio free country, stressing the need for unified action in this regard.

“We will not rest until we have permanently defeated polio”, he said while chairing a meeting on polio eradication here.

Commending the efforts of the government’s polio team in combating the disease, he directed Coordinator for National Health Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, Polio Focal Person Ayesha Raza Farooq, and the Secretary of National Health to visit the most affected areas during the recent polio campaign.

The prime minister also directed to conduct a third party audit of the anti-polio campaign.

Additionally, he emphasized the need to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the immunity gap.

In the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on recent polio cases and the polio eradication campaign.

Currently, the number of active polio cases in the country stands at 41, out of which 25 such cases whom routine immunization coverage is not better.

The briefing also highlighted that the spread of polio was lower in areas with better vaccination rates.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister’s Coordinator for National Health Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, Prime Minister’s Polio Focal Person Ayesha Raza Farooq, and relevant senior government officials.