Islamabad Staff Reporter

Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has emphasized that the eradication of polio is not solely a government responsibility, but a national obligation. He stressed that transparency and effective implementation in anti-polio campaigns must be ensured at all costs to achieve the goal of making Pakistan a polio-free country as soon as possible.

He made these remarks while chairing a high-level meeting on polio eradication and routine immunization. The meeting included a comprehensive review of the annual polio budget, financial aspects, and operational strategies. A detailed analysis of the performance of the current vaccination campaign was also presented.

Minister Kamal stated that every child must have access to polio vaccines, and that effective strategies would be adopted with the support of international partners to reach this goal. The meeting included in-depth discussions on the measures needed to protect every child from polio, the challenges faced, and the importance of strengthening routine immunization programs.

The Health Minister instructed all relevant departments to ensure accountability, efficiency, and coordination during the ongoing polio campaigns. He reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating polio and called for collective efforts from all sectors of society.

Senior officials from national and international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Gavi, participated in the meeting. Key attendees included the Health Secretary, Additional Secretary, Director General Health, Director General of the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI), and the National Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).

The participants also discussed strengthening partnerships and optimizing resource utilization to bolster Pakistan’s fight against polio and enhance overall child immunization coverage.