ISLAMABAD, Dec 1 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that keeping the political differences aside, the whole country stood united for a polio-free Pakistan and that the government would continue its anti-polio efforts until the last child was vaccinated and the disease was completely eliminated.
The prime minister, in a meeting with a delegation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, said polio had been eradicated from most parts of the country except certain pockets which were being targeted through periodic vaccination campaigns.
He said the whole Pakistani nation was thankful to the partners and donors, including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary International, UNICEF and WHO for helping in polio eradication from Pakistan.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, the prime minister reassured unwavering support and commitment to eradicate polio from Pakistan.
He thanked the delegation for its untiring efforts regarding polio eradication in Pakistan.
He also highlighted the government’s efforts which had resulted in containing the spread of the virus to the extent that major parts of the country were now polio-free whereby only a few pockets were left which were being targeted in the periodic polio campaigns.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also assured the delegation that the teams in the field were given high-level security and that Pakistan would never allow anyone to sabotage that national effort.
The prime minister directed the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Abdul Qadir Patel to immediately visit Peshawar and synergize efforts with the provincial authorities for gearing up efforts to vaccinate children against polio virus, particularly targeting those pockets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where poliovirus was still present.
Chair of Polio Oversight Board and President Global Development Program of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Dr. Christopher Elias conveyed special regards from Bill Gates to the prime minister and informed that he (Gates) was thankful to the prime minister for his personal interest in the cause of polio eradication from Pakistan.
The country director, UNICEF briefed the prime minister about the relief efforts in flood-hit areas of the country and polio campaigns in those areas.
The delegation also lauded the prime minister for keeping politics aside and working with the provincial governments for polio eradication from the country.
The delegation was led by Dr. Christopher Elias and included Regional Director, WHO Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, Regional Director, UNICEF, George Laryea-Adjei, Aziz Memon, National Chair NPPC, Rotary International and officials of the donors and partners of polio eradication program.
Federal Minister for National Health Services & Regulations Abdul Qadir Patel was also present at the meeting.
