ISLAMABAD: Amid rising concerns over polio cases, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched a nationwide polio eradication campaign for 2025. The vaccination drive, scheduled from Feb 3 to 9, aims to protect millions of children from the disease.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, the prime minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating polio, calling it a “national responsibility”.

Mr Sharif regretted that 77 polio cases were reported in the country last year, which emerged as a huge challenge.

He expressed the resolve to eradicate polio with dedicated teamwork and support from international partners.

The prime minister acknowledged the contributions of international partners, including the WHO, Unicef, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Saudi Arabia, for their unwavering support in Pakistan’s anti-polio efforts.

Dr Mukhtar Bharat, the PM’s coordinator on National Health Services, highlighted the government’s transparency in reporting cases to the international community. He noted that only one case had been recorded this year, attributing the improvement to sustained efforts by health teams.

Ayesha Raza Farooq, PM’s focal person on polio eradication, urged all sections of society to support the vaccination campaign, stressing the role of parents in protecting their children from the disease.

Polio drive in Balochistan

The vaccination campaign in Balochistan will target over 2.66 million children across the province, according to Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Balochistan Coordinator Inamul Haq.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Mr Haq urged parents to cooperate with health teams, warning that the presence of the virus in the environment posed a serious risk to unvaccinated children.

Saleem Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2025