Islamabad—Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has appealed to the
parents to ensure that their children under five years of age are
vaccinated against polio in every immunization campaign.
The Prime Minister said this in a message on the World Polio Day being observed on October 24. He said Pakistan today was among the last four countries of the world harbouring the polio virus, so all eyes were set to ensure eradication of the polio disease from the country.
The World Polio Day is observed every year to spotlight the global fight against the disease that once crippled hundreds of thousands of children across the world.
Gilani said in 1988, the global community resolved to eradicate this disease alarmed by the occurrence of over 350,000 cases of polio annually.
He said Pakistan joined the global fraternity in this drive in 1994 when the then Prime Minister, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, launched the first polio drive in the country with the resolve to save every child from the shadows of a disease that causes permanent disability.
“We have come a long way since then with polio cases down from over 20,000 annually to 144 last year and 132 so far this year. However, this is not enough and we need to forge ahead and reach our goal of complete eradication of the disease from our country in line with global targets.” He said he is leading the initiative himself through a National Task Force on Polio Eradication which has membership of all chief ministers, Governor of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The task force is overseeing the progress of the campaign across Pakistan.
“We have set in motion the National Emergency Action Plan which ensures the responsibility and leadership of district administration in reaching every eligible child with polio vaccine.”
“I must say that no matter how strong the commitment of the government is, no success can be achieved without the active participation of parents, social workers, religious and community leaders, teachers and volunteers,” he added.
The Prime Minister appealed to every Pakistani to come forward and play a proactive role in ensuring that the message of this campaign, which is protection from life-long disability, is taken to every household.
The Prime Minister said this in a message on the World Polio Day being observed on October 24. He said Pakistan today was among the last four countries of the world harbouring the polio virus, so all eyes were set to ensure eradication of the polio disease from the country.
The World Polio Day is observed every year to spotlight the global fight against the disease that once crippled hundreds of thousands of children across the world.
Gilani said in 1988, the global community resolved to eradicate this disease alarmed by the occurrence of over 350,000 cases of polio annually.
He said Pakistan joined the global fraternity in this drive in 1994 when the then Prime Minister, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, launched the first polio drive in the country with the resolve to save every child from the shadows of a disease that causes permanent disability.
“We have come a long way since then with polio cases down from over 20,000 annually to 144 last year and 132 so far this year. However, this is not enough and we need to forge ahead and reach our goal of complete eradication of the disease from our country in line with global targets.” He said he is leading the initiative himself through a National Task Force on Polio Eradication which has membership of all chief ministers, Governor of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The task force is overseeing the progress of the campaign across Pakistan.
“We have set in motion the National Emergency Action Plan which ensures the responsibility and leadership of district administration in reaching every eligible child with polio vaccine.”
“I must say that no matter how strong the commitment of the government is, no success can be achieved without the active participation of parents, social workers, religious and community leaders, teachers and volunteers,” he added.
The Prime Minister appealed to every Pakistani to come forward and play a proactive role in ensuring that the message of this campaign, which is protection from life-long disability, is taken to every household.
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