ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reiterated the government’s unflinching resolve to rid the country of polio virus through renewed efforts. In a tweet on World Polio Day, he said it is unfortunate that polio still exists in our country which disables children, stunts their future and undermines national progress.

Every year on 24 October, we observe the World Polio Day to raise awareness of the importance of polio vaccination to protect every child from this devastating disease, and to celebrate the many parents, professionals and volunteers whose contributions make polio eradication achievable.

World Polio Day highlights the global efforts to end poliomyelitis (polio) worldwide. Polio is a life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus, which the World Health Assembly committed to eradicate in 1988. The WHO European Region was declared polio-free in 2002 and has sustained this status every year since then.

To ensure a polio-free future for everyone, efforts must continue to maintain high immunization coverage, implement high-quality surveillance to detect any presence of the virus, and prepare to respond in the event of an outbreak.