ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Sunday launched its first anti-polio campaign of the year, targeting 44.2 million children under the age of five.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio continues to threaten the health and well-being of children. Polio affects the nervous system of children, eventually leading to paralysis.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif launched the nationwide action by giving polio drops to children in the capital Islamabad, saying unfortunately Pakistan is one of the few countries still suffering from the disease.
Twenty cases were reported in the North Waziristan tribal area last year, although the disease has been contained in other children through vaccination, Sharif said.
Around 44 million children in 156 districts are vaccinated.
This includes 22.54 million children in Punjab, 10.1 million in Sindh and 7.4 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Sharif said his government was effectively helping to eradicate polio in Pakistan along with other stakeholders including US billionaire Bill Gates and the World Health Organization.
He presented certificates of appreciation to frontline polio workers at launch, praising their “priceless sacrifices.”
Pakistan has seen frequent attacks on polio teams and police officers deployed to protect them. Militants falsely claim vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.
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