Pakistan's Renewed Fight Against Polio: A Nationwide Push

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has initiated a new nationwide anti-polio campaign targeting 44 million children, as the country battles a resurgence of polio cases. The Prime Minister emphasized collaboration with international partners and urged parents to participate in the vaccination drive to eradicate the disease.

In a renewed effort to combat polio, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a nationwide vaccination drive on Sunday, aiming to inoculate 44 million children. This initiative comes in response to a troubling increase in polio cases, with 63 new infections reported this year.

Prime Minister Sharif inaugurated the campaign by personally administering polio drops and expressed gratitude towards international partners, including the Saudi government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for their support. He highlighted the country's commitment to eradicate polio with the help of federal and provincial efforts.

The campaign involves approximately 400,000 polio workers who will visit over 143 districts to ensure every child under five years receives the vaccine. The government urged parents to cooperate with the polio teams to protect their children and work towards wiping out the disease.

(With inputs from agencies.)