Pakistan risks becoming last country where polio persists, says Kamal
QUETTA: Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal on Monday called for a renewed, collective national effort to eradicate polio from the country, urging politicians, religious scholars, parents, teachers, civil society, and the media to actively participate in the anti-polio campaign and use their influence to ensure every child was vaccinated.
Speaking at a press conference after chairing a high-level review meeting on polio eradication in Quetta, the minister stressed the urgent need to intensify vaccination efforts to protect children from the crippling disease. “If we do not take this issue seriously, Pakistan risks becoming the last country where polio persists, as the virus remains endemic in only two countries worldwide,” he warned.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including National Polio Coordinator Capt (retd) Anwar-ul-Haq, Balochistan Health Secretary Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Panezai, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Coordinator Balochistan Inam-ul-Haq, and representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef, and provincial health authorities.
Kamal highlighted that Afghanistan, which had long struggled with polio, was now on track to become polio-free due to the Afghan government’s extensive door-to-door vaccination campaigns covering all provinces. He emphasised that Muslim countries and the rest of the world had successfully eradicated polio using the same vaccine currently being administered in Pakistan.
“With the virus still present in the environment across all districts, unvaccinated children remain at risk. To prevent infection, it is essential that every child receives both recommended doses of the polio drops,” he said.
The health minister strongly urged parents to ensure their children were vaccinated, assuring them that the vaccine was safe, thoroughly tested, and remained the only protection against lifelong disability and death caused by polio.
Kamal also announced that no new polio cases had been reported in Balochistan so far this year, crediting the sustained efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the coordinated work of frontline polio workers. “Our polio workers are the real heroes of this campaign. Despite severe weather and difficult conditions, they have demonstrated exceptional dedication and patriotism,” he remarked.
He called upon religious scholars, teachers, and community leaders to help dispel misinformation and build public confidence in vaccination campaigns. “Reject all negative propaganda. The success of this mission depends on national unity and the support of every citizen,” Kamal said.
Emphasising the gravity of the issue, the minister said: “Unlike other diseases, polio has no cure—vaccination is the only way to protect our children… This is not just a health campaign, it is a matter of securing our nation’s future.”
Kamal concluded by urging families to open their doors to polio workers and take personal responsibility for ensuring that children in their homes and neighborhoods receive the vaccine. “This is our national duty, and the decisions we make today will shape the future of our next generations,” he stated.