Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched a nationwide anti-polio campaign aimed at the complete eradication of the disease, as Pakistan recorded 17 cases of polio in 2024. The campaign will target 30 million children under the age of five across 115 districts between September 9 and 15.

Approximately 286,000 polio workers will conduct door-to-door visits to administer polio drops during the campaign. The prime minister expressed gratitude to international partners and organizations for their support in the fight against polio, highlighting collaboration with provincial governments and health agencies as crucial to the effort.

“We are confident that our combined efforts will lead to the total eradication of polio from Pakistan, Insha’Allah,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said, as he administered polio drops to children during the campaign's launch ceremony.

The event was attended by Dr. Mukhtar Bharath, the PM’s Coordinator for Health, Ayesha Raza Farooq, the PM’s Special Representative for Polio Eradication, and officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and the United Nations.

The prime minister also urged parents to ensure their children receive the polio vaccine to prevent lifelong disability. Despite ongoing efforts, Pakistan remains one of only two polio-endemic countries, along with Afghanistan.

The campaign comes as Islamabad recently reported its first case of polio in 16 years, raising concerns about the virus's persistence. Polio primarily affects children under five, especially those with weak immune systems. The disease can cause paralysis and death, with vaccination being the only effective protection.
 
 
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