‘Pakistan running the last mile in race against polio’

Karachi
We are running the last mile in the race against polio and if we all work together, the day is not far that no child in our country will have to suffer from polio and Pakistan will be declared polio-free, said Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, daughter of former president Asif Ali Zardari, in a message issued on World Polio Day, observed around the globe on October 23.
"It was a dream of my mother, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, that no child should suffer from disability because of a vaccine preventable disease and now it is up to us to make that dream come true," said Aseefa as she appreciated the efforts of all stakeholders involved in polio eradication.
"It is only due to the great efforts and hard work of all workers that polio cases in Pakistan have decreased from more than 300 in 2014 to just 38 in 2015," she said, "However, even this number is too high and we have to make sure that every child who may have been missed in past drives is vaccinated."
She paid glowing tributes to the polio workers who have worked tirelessly in rough conditions to safeguard the children of Pakistan.
“I salute the brave polio workers risking their lives on the ground, going door-to-door to ensure that our children have a better future."
Aseefa congratulated the staff on the work done by the Emergency Operation Centre for Polio that was established in Sindh in January 2015, stating that the centre had played a significant role in the planning, coordination and monitoring of all polio elimination-related activities.
She appealed to all parents to actively pursue vaccination for their children to save them from this crippling disease. “Don’t rob your children of a future they deserve. Give them a chance.”
She concluded by stating, "I would like to thank WHO, Unicef, The Gates Foundation, Rotary International and so many others for their continued support for our polio eradication efforts."