Islamabad: Pakistan has been recognized among the top five countries globally for the absolute reduction in child deaths, primarily attributed to its comprehensive vaccination efforts.

According to Radio Pakistan, a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that Pakistan has successfully averted 2.6 million child deaths from preventable diseases. The country has also achieved the eradication of smallpox, a 99.8 percent reduction in paralytic polio cases, and established neonatal tetanus-free zones covering 80 percent of its population.

Since 1994, Pakistan, in collaboration with WHO, has implemented vaccine programs that have protected 160 million children and 130 million mothers over five decades. The WHO also certified the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus in several regions, including Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Gilgit-Baltistan, ensuring that a significant portion of the population lives in areas where neonatal tetanus is no longer a public health threat.

Dr. Luo Dapeng, the WHO Representative in Pakistan, expressed pride in supporting Pakistan’s efforts alongside over 15,000 routine vaccinators and more than 400,000 polio vaccinators to provide protection to every child and mother, irrespective of their social or economic status.