ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that the persistence of polio in Pakistan and its neighboring country was a moment of introspection, urging government officials and polio workers to redouble their efforts to eradicate the crippling disease from the region.
“Let’s brace ourselves and accept the challenge and start running and achieve the trophy, which we’re all wanting to have sooner rather than later. If the whole world can become polio-free, except Pakistan and our neighbouring country, I think it’s a moment of introspection,” the prime minister said addressing a ceremony held in connection with the World Polio Day here.
He reiterated the government’s firm resolve to eradicate polio from the country.
The prime minister specially thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has contributed a huge amount in collaboration with the Bill Gates Foundation for this noble cause.
He also paid tribute to the polio field-workers who have done a remarkable job in challenging areas during recent times. He said the courage, determination, and unwavering commitment of Polio workers are commendable, and the nation owes huge gratitude to them.
The Prime Minister thanked international partners, including UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.
Pakistan’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) confirmed on Tuesday one new case of poliovirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Torghar district, raising the country’s total number of cases this year to 30.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries in the world where the virus is still endemic, alongside Afghanistan.
According to the NIH’s Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication, the country has so far detected 19 cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine in Sindh, and one each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Health officials said ongoing challenges — including security threats, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation — continue to impede eradication efforts.
Last week, Pakistan concluded its fourth national vaccination campaign of 2025, reaching more than 44 million children, with a focused drive still underway in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — an area long regarded as a hotspot for transmission.
Polio, a highly infectious viral disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, remains incurable, but repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine offer complete protection.
