ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that he is determined to make Pakistan polio-free and protect every child from the deadly disease.
The meeting of the Polio Eradication Task Force was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in which members of the Polio Eradication Oversight Board led by Dr. Christopher Elias, President of the Polio Eradication Oversight Board and President Global Development, Gates Foundation attended.
Speaking at the meeting, the Prime Minister said that he is determined to completely eradicate polio from Pakistan. He stressed on further intensifying the efforts to eradicate polio and said that despite all the difficulties and challenges, the government will soon achieve the goal of eradicating polio from Pakistan with the help of its international, provincial and local teams.
He said that we are determined to protect every child in Pakistan from a deadly disease like polio and to make Pakistan polio-free. We should ensure with full dedication and seriousness that every child across the country receives multiple doses of the vaccine and remains protected from polio.
Shahbaz Sharif said that with the dedication of frontline workers, the commitment of the Government of Pakistan and the cooperation of partners, Pakistan has made significant progress against polio. The efforts and cooperation of the provincial, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir governments and law enforcement agencies for polio eradication are commendable.
The Prime Minister said that the safety of polio workers is our top priority. All stakeholders, including the provincial governments, must work together and work faster to eradicate polio. We are grateful to all our partners who are fully supporting the government in polio eradication.
He said that he is also grateful to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Muhammad bin Salman, who is supporting Pakistan in every way in polio eradication.
While briefing the Prime Minister on polio eradication in the meeting, officials said that all partners, including the Bill Gates Foundation, have played a very important and commendable role in the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan. In order to completely eradicate the polio virus in the areas of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a specific polio eradication campaign is being formed based on the problems faced in each district.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for National Health Syed Mustafa Kamal, Minister of State for National Health Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chief Secretaries of all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Commissioner of Islamabad Capital Territory, National Coordinator for Polio Eradication and other relevant senior government officials.