ISLAMABAD: Interim Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan on Sunday said children were our future and the government would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the disability-causing poliovirus did not remain a threat to their well-being.

He said this while leading an awareness walk against polio as part of a series of events to be held to mark World Polio Day, which is observed on October 24 every year.

The walk brought together hundreds of participants from the health ministry, students, civil society, the leadership of the Pakistan Polio Programme and polio eradication partners such as Rotary, WHO, Unicef and BMGF. It also featured a speech from Senator Quratulain Marri, who is a polio survivor.

Senator Marri spoke about the everyday challenges of living with polio and the polio regressive syndrome.

“Ten years ago, I did not need a crutch; 10 years after maybe I’ll be on a wheelchair. This is a debilitating disease,” she said.

“A child below the age of five years does not have the ability to share the pain they feel, but let me tell you, it is a very very painful disease,” the senator said.

Dr Nadeem Jan said: “This walk is a testament to our commitment and the tireless efforts and resilience of our healthcare heroes who continue to immunise children, even in the most challenging circumstances. It is a powerful statement that together we can achieve a polio-free Pakistan.”

Representatives from Rotary International and WHO, on behalf of UN partners, also spoke on the occasion.

The WHO country representative,Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, said: “It is wonderful to be here together with frontline health workers who reach every home in Pakistan. This work is crucial. We are working to eradicate the second disease in human history.”

Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication Dr Shahzad Baig thanked the participants and highlighted Pakistan’s progress in polio eradication.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2023