Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched this year’s second national anti-political campaign on Sunday, which is executed from April 21 to April 27, and promised to achieve ‘roaring success’ in the effort.
Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, where polyomyelitis remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate virus, challenges such as safety problems, vaccine vaccine and erroneous information have slowed progress.
Last year, the country reported more than 70 cases of polyomyelitis, with the virus detected in around 90 districts. The first polio vaccination campaign at the national level of this year was held in February, followed by a fractional IPV-OPV polio campaign (injectable polio vaccine) in Quetta and Karachi on February 20 and 22, respectively. Around 1 million children were attacked for vaccination in this campaign, according to officials.
Speaking at the Islamabad ceremony today, Prime Minister Shehbaz said: “Through our collective efforts, we will succeed in this campaign. I would like to thank our international partners, such as the World Health Organization and the Bill Gates Foundation.
“We are grateful for their support, and I want to assure you that we will achieve a roaring success,” in this effort.
According to the Government, 45.4 million children will be administered, the polyomyelitis vaccine, and a total of 415,000 polyomyelitis workers would participate in this national campaign.
“Throughout Pakistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be given to dozens of children. This will include Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and we all pray so that the Ministry of Health, their provincial teams and teams succeed in eradicating the Pakistan polio.”
“I ask parents throughout the country to help us already the teams in the countryside so that this campaign is a success,” added the prime minister.
He also added that security arrangements have been made for areas with security problems.
Poly is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. The multiple doses of the polyomyelitis vaccine and the completion of the routine vaccination program for all children under five are essential to provide children with a high immunity against this terrible disease.
The government has the hope that efforts to eradicate poliovirus are being fruitful, since no new case of paralyzing disease has been reported in more than two months and the last case of 2025 is reported on February 10.
