PM Shehbaz chairs high-level meeting on polio eradication

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed government’s firm commitment to completely eradicate polio from Pakistan.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired an important meeting of the Polio Eradication Task Force, which was attended by key members including the Chairman of the Polio Oversight Board and Dr. Christopher Elias from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with other prominent officials.

The meeting emphasized the commitment to completely eliminate polio from Pakistan and called for intensified efforts to achieve this goal.

During the meeting,  Prime Minister expressed confidence that despite various challenges, the government, in collaboration with international, provincial, and local teams, will swiftly attain the polio eradication target. He reaffirmed the government’s dedication to protecting every child from polio and emphasized the importance of providing multiple doses of the vaccine to ensure children remain safe from the disease.

The Prime Minister appreciated the frontline workers’ dedication, the government’s resolve, and the support from partners, highlighting Pakistan’s significant progress in the fight against polio. He commended the efforts of provincial governments, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and law enforcement agencies, emphasizing that the safety of polio workers remains a top priority.

The meeting also reviewed ongoing activities related to polio eradication, particularly focusing on the special campaigns in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa aimed at eradication, environmental surveillance, and measures to eliminate the presence of the virus. Representatives from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, KS Relief, Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Ziad Memish, Rotary International, and other high-ranking officials participated in the discussions.

The Prime Minister stressed the need for all stakeholders to unite and work expeditiously to eradicate polio completely from Pakistan.

He extended gratitude to international partners, especially Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for their support. He described this as a significant and commendable phase in Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate the disease and called for continued collaborative action.