Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Campaign: CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Leads Fight Against Virus and Dengue

To further strengthen the polio eradication campaign and control the emerging health threats Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has recently revealed a provincial plan to eradicate polio and contain dengue fever. Speaking at a high-level meeting in Lahore, Sharif said that the government required a ‘realistic and viable strategy’ to eliminate the polio virus which remained a major health risks threat in Pakistan. The initiative was mooted when polio resurfaced in Pakistan with 39 confirmed cases in 2024 meaning that effective intervention in the polio eradication campaign is required.

Strengthening Pakistan Polio Eradication Strategy

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered local authorities to start administering polio vaccines at all entry points in the Punjab province of Pakistan to support the country’s polio eradication drive. This includes tracking and registration of mobile and migrant populations within the province was arrived at during a meeting presided over by Sharif. She highlighted the need to have proper records of kids who disappeared during the vaccination exercise; this was a show of willingness to take the polio vaccination to every child in Pakistan.

The meeting was also briefed on micro-plans and proposals to improve the efficiency of the action and included Health Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir. During the vaccination process, Sharif said that it is important to follow standard operating procedures in the cold chain to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccines used in Pakistan in the fight against polio.

Obstacles in Pakistan Polio Eradication

Emerging reports of new polio cases in Sindh and Balochistan provinces have raised concerns about the disease and created an issue for Pakistan’s polio elimination campaign. Sanghar and Mirpur Khas districts of Sindh were confirmed with two cases while Chaman, Pishin, and Nushki areas of Balochistan reported three other cases. These cases show that the virus has rendered children as young as nine months old disabled, and puts pressure on Pakistan to continue its polio eradication campaign.

CM Sharif has assured that Punjab shall be made a complete polio ‘zero’ zone and he is supervising the process of polio drops. She stressed it is critical to note that to reach goals in Pakistan, polio must be fought with force and the full support of the public. Measures like tracking of mobile population and making entry point vaccination stronger and more comprehensive are a result of the government’s commitment to combat the hurdles in polio-free Pakistan.