Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday reaffirmed his commitment to making Pakistan polio-free, stating that with collective efforts, the disease will be completely eradicated and prevented from re-emerging in the future, ensuring a healthier future for the nation’s children.

Speaking at the ceremony after launching the seven-day polio eradication campaign, the prime minister stressed that a unified approach and collaborative efforts are crucial to successfully tackling the polio challenge and achieving a polio-free Pakistan.

At the ceremony, the prime minister extended a warm welcome to the attendees and expressed his appreciation for the outstanding collaboration and tireless efforts of federal and provincial government staff, foot soldiers, and security officers, who have worked together seamlessly to drive the polio eradication campaign forward.

The prime minister voiced his confidence that by working together with provincial chief ministers, chief secretaries, health ministers, and health secretaries, the government will successfully eliminate polio, paving the way for a polio-free future and eradicating this preventable disease in the years to come.

The prime minister assured that the polio eradication campaign is in capable hands, being led by expert teams, and expressed optimism that the federal government’s joint efforts with the provinces will ultimately lead to the disease’s eradication.

He further pledged that once polio is eliminated, the government will ensure it never returns, providing a safer future for generations to come.

The campaign was launched days after Islamabad reported its first case of poliovirus in 16 years, bringing the total number of cases in Pakistan this year to 17, officials confirmed.

The newly reported case comes from Islamabad’s Union Council Rural 4, near Sangjani Toll Plaza, according to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health. The victim is an eight-year-old boy, marking the city’s first polio case since 2008.