Islamabad, Dec 15 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched a nationwide anti-polio drive to vaccinate around 44 million children across the country against the crippling disease.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the region where polio is still rampant.

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Sharif inaugurated the last campaign of the year by administering polio drops to children under the age of five on the occasion while reaffirming their determination to eliminate the disease from Pakistan.

In his address, the premier expressed concern over the rise in polio cases, with 63 new cases reported this year. However, he assured the nation that collaborative efforts by federal and provincial governments would overcome the challenge.

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“I especially thank the government of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman for his very valuable contribution towards eradicating polio, not only in Pakistan but also in Afghanistan,” Sharif said.

He expressed the commitment to eradicate the poliovirus from Pakistan with the help of provincial governments and international partners.

The Prime Minister urged the parents to ensure vaccination of their children to protect them from polio.

He also thanked the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for their support.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, said around 4,00,000 polio workers across 143 districts will visit every household to administer polio drops to children below five years.

She requested the parents to open their doors and fully cooperate with the polio teams in this campaign.

Coordinate on Health, Dr Mukhtar Bharath, said around 44 million children would be reached out across Pakistan during this last polio eradication drive of the year.

Pakistan's efforts to eradicate polio received a jolt as the national tally of infections in 2024 reached 63, a stark contrast to just six cases reported in 2023.

Pakistan had reduced polio to just one case in 2021, giving hope that the country would soon get polio-free status, but the menace returned in 2022 with 20 new cases. Earlier, the infection peaked in 2019 when 147 new cases were reported.

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