Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to ensure that every child under the age of five receives the polio vaccine during the anti-polio campaign beginning on 21st April. He was chairing a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday to review the anti-polio campaign.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister has called for a 100 percent nationwide provision of routine vaccination for immunization against other dangerous diseases as well. He emphasized the importance of grassroots-level awareness and community mobilization for the polio campaign.
The Prime Minister appreciated the work of polio teams, expressing pride in their frontline role in the fight against this deadly disease under challenging circumstances. He also lauded the contributions of national and international agencies and partners in the effort toward polio eradication.
During the meeting, it was briefed that the anti-polio campaign will commence on Monday and continue until the following Sunday, with a target to vaccinate 4.5 million children across the country. More than four hundred and fifteen thousand polio workers will participate in this nationwide campaign.
The meeting further highlighted that, as per the Prime Minister’s instructions, third-party validation of the campaign will be conducted from the 28th to the 30th of this month. It was also noted that no polio cases have been reported in the country since February this year, and the cold chain tracking of the anti-polio campaigns is being monitored through a digital system.