After the number of polio cases reached 63 this year, the federal government is all set to launch its last vaccination campaign of 2024 in 143 districts of the country from December 16 to 22.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally launched the vaccination campaign by administering drops to children during the inauguration ceremony in Islamabad today.
Addressing the event, Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed international partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Saudi Arabia, founded by Bill Gates, for helping Pakistan fight polio.
He said that the role of the Saudi Crown Prince for the eradication of polio in Pakistan is commendable.
“I especially thank the Government of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for their invaluable support in eradicating polio not only in Pakistan but also in Afghanistan, and of course the Bill Gates Foundation. , deeply appreciate the efforts of WHO. To assure you that we will move forward together and not rest until polio is eradicated for the time to come. It is not done.”
During the inauguration, the Prime Minister highlighted growing concern over the rising cases of polio, with around 60 new cases reported, but assured that the country would overcome the challenge with the combined efforts of the federal and provincial governments.
According to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), the provincial distribution of polio cases this year includes 26 in Balochistan, 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.
He urged the parents to give their children polio vaccine.
The Prime Minister also thanked the efforts of the polio workers participating in the immunization campaign and the cooperation of the law enforcement agencies to ensure the safe conduct of the nationwide anti-polio campaign.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister’s focal person for anti-polio Ayesha Raza Farooq said that around 400,000 polio workers in 143 districts of the country will go to every house and administer polio drops to children under five years of age.
He requested the parents to open their doors and fully cooperate with the polio teams in this campaign.
He said that the Prime Minister’s continuous involvement in anti-polio efforts is proof of his determination to protect the health of Pakistan’s children.
He assured that the campaign will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to ensure that every child is vaccinated against the disease.
In a pre-recorded message earlier today, the prime minister’s focal person expressed the aim to ensure access to free, fully safe and effective polio vaccine for all children up to five years of age.
He also said that it is important to complete the course of immunization to prevent polio as well as other deadly diseases.
Farooq also paid tribute to the frontline polio workers who are serving the nation under difficult conditions in the ongoing struggle against this deadly disease.
Prime Minister’s Coordinator on National Health Services Dr. Mukhtar Bharath said that during this last polio eradication campaign of the year, around 44 million children will be reached across Pakistan.
The highly contagious viral disease mainly affects children under the age of five, especially those with weakened immune systems or those with insufficient vaccination.
With more than 60% of polio-infected children not routinely immunized in 2024, health officials have called for improved coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). A high-level committee was set up for
Headed by Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health Services Dr. Malik Mutahar Ahmed Barth, the committee includes provincial health directors and representatives of international organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, CDC and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Its primary focus is to address challenges in high-risk areas and increase immunization coverage across the country.