PM Shehbaz reaffirms Pakistan’s pledge to eliminate polio

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed on Thursday Pakistan’s commitment to eradicating polio, urging accelerated efforts and stronger coordination among national, regional and international partners.

Chairing a meeting of the Anti-Polio Task Force in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government remains determined to protect every child in the country from the disease. “We are committed to protect every child in Pakistan from this crippling disease and achieve a polio-free Pakistan,” he said.

Shehbaz stressed the need for complete dedication to ensure that all children across Pakistan receive multiple doses of the polio vaccine. He also highlighted the importance of addressing both human transmission and the environmental presence of the virus.

Acknowledging the progress made so far, the prime minister praised the dedication of frontline health workers, the contributions of provincial and regional governments and the role of law enforcement agencies in supporting the anti-polio campaign.

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He expressed particular gratitude to Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman for his support of Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts.

He also commended the vital contributions of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and its Global Development Program, led by Dr Christopher Elias, along with the continued engagement of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Rotary International, and KS Relief.

The meeting was informed that district-specific polio campaigns have been designed for southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to address localised challenges more effectively. In addition to targeting new polio cases among children, these campaigns also aim to eliminate the virus from the environment.

The Islamabad meeting was attended by senior government officials and global health leaders, Chief Secretaries from all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad also took part in the session.

Shehbaz reiterated that the safety of polio workers is a top priority, and directed all stakeholders to intensify their collective efforts to eliminate the disease completely. He concluded by stating that with firm political will and international cooperation, the goal of a polio-free Pakistan is within reach.

Earlier, a polio case in North Waziristan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was reported, where a 19-month-old boy tested positive, bringing the country’s total to 14 cases in 2025.

The case, confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad, is the eighth reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with others recorded in Sindh (4), Punjab (1), and Gilgit-Baltistan (1).

Pakistan saw its highest spike in the past decade in 2019, with 147 cases nationwide, before cases dropped sharply in 2021. However, a resurgence in 2024, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan, reinforced the call for continuous, targeted anti-polio strategies.