PM Nawaz to deliver a polio-free country in 6 months
Chairing the Polio Steering Committee meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister committed to vaccinate all children of Pakistan and deliver once for all a polio-free country in six months time.
The premier declared polio eradication a national cause and said he will supervise the campaign himself.
"Polio epidemic will not be tolerated in the country," he said, adding that any inaction in this regard will be a crime against future generations. "I refuse to put the generations of Pakistan at stake," he said.
The premier urged all the chief ministers to take urgent steps to tackle the disease in their respective provinces. He added that the government, armed forces and other institutions will stand united to fight the crippling disease.
Sharing the concerns of the international community, Nawaz said the government is ensuring polio vaccination of international travellers in compliance with international health regulations.
The meeting was attended by chief ministers of all provinces, chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, prime minister Azad and Jammu Kashmir, governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and federal ministers for information, defence, and interior.
WHO, WHF, Unicef and World Bank have also decided to contribute funds to the cause, while the Bill Gates Foundation has announced to donating 37 billion for the cause.
Around 231 polio cases were reported this year, the most in a decade, with 150 in Fata, 48 in K-P, 23 in Sindh, seven in Balochistan and three in Punjab.
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