Polio eradication campaign launched in Pakistan

To address the rising number of polio cases in Pakistan, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has launched a nationwide campaign to eradicate the polio virus by 2025. The vaccination campaign, scheduled from 3rd February to 9th February, aims to protect millions of children from the disease. In light of the 77 cases of polio recorded in the country in 2024, the Prime Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to polio eradication, calling it a ‘national responsibility’ for which support is required from international partners, including the WHO, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Saudi Arabia. Mukhtar Bharat, the PM’s coordinator for national health services, stated that thanks to the efforts of health teams to counter the spread of the disease, only one case was recorded this year. Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s polio eradication coordinator, made an urgent plea to all sectors of society to support the vaccination campaign, emphasising the pivotal role of parents in safeguarding their children against the disease. Inamul Haq, the coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Balochistan, has stated that the vaccination campaign in Balochistan is set to encompass more than 2.66 million children across the province. Haq has also stressed the grave risks posed to unvaccinated children by the presence of the virus in the environment.