Islamabad: In a significant meeting held at the National Emergency Operations Center today, international donors and development partners pledged their continued support to the Government of Pakistan in its ongoing efforts to eradicate polio. The disease has affected 21 children in the country this year, and the renewed commitments aim to reverse the current trends of the virus’s spread across 67 districts.
According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, the gathering, led by the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, included detailed briefings on the current status of polio eradication efforts and the consensus national strategy. Ms. Farooq highlighted the government’s high-level commitment to polio eradication, which remains a top priority on the national agenda.
She stated that despite being nearly polio-free in 2021, Pakistan has been battling an intense poliovirus outbreak since 2023. The virus has resurfaced in key areas, including Karachi, Quetta block, and Peshawar-Khyber, which were previously considered polio reservoirs. In response, a critical self-appraisal and extensive consultations with provincial governments have led to the formulation of a joint roadmap aiming to interrupt virus transmission by mid-2025.
The Coordinator for the National Polio Emergency Operations Center, Mr. Muhammad Anwarul Haq, shared updates on the National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP). He emphasized the strategies adopted to vaccinate every missed child and highlighted the recent mass vaccination campaign that immunized over 33 million children against polio, with notable progress in priority areas such as Balochistan province.
The event saw participation from key international stakeholders, including representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Rotary Foundation, and major donor agencies such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the governments of Japan, the UAE, and Canada, among others. These partners appreciated the open discussions about the new strategy and reaffirmed their support for Pakistan’s efforts towards a polio-free world.
UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil, emphasized the importance of addressing broader public health issues such as water, sanitation, and malnutrition to achieve polio eradication. WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr. Luo Dapeng, highlighted the critical role of continued support from partners and donors to maintain the gains made in polio eradication and to achieve the ultimate goal of a polio-free world.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme has undertaken comprehensive measures to improve oversight, management, and accountability, including mapping mobile and migrant populations, tailoring community engagement strategies, and integrating health services in high-risk areas to interrupt virus circulation effectively.