Pakistani spin bowler Sajid Khan joins Punjab EOC to honor frontline polio workers

RAWALPINDI, Oct 24 (APP):National Test cricketer and spin bowler Sajid Khan joined Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Coordinator Khalid Parvaiz and health officials at a local college on Saturday to commemorate World Polio Day under the theme “Shukriya Frontline Workers.”

The event, organized at a local college to pay tribute to the dedication of frontline polio workers, brought together education representatives, students and public health officials to recognize vaccinators who administer polio drops door to door across challenging terrains.

Speaking as the special guest, Sajid Khan praised the commitment of health workers and urged parents to ensure all children under five years of age receive polio drops during every vaccination campaign. He highlighted the collective responsibility of protecting children from vaccine-preventable disabilities and called upon youth to raise community awareness while countering vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.

Addressing the ceremony, Punjab EOC Coordinator Khalid Parvaiz stated that frontline vaccinators serve as the backbone of the polio eradication program. He reported that Punjab has sustained significant progress toward ending transmission, recording zero polio cases across the province during the current year to date.

However, Parvaiz cautioned that continued vigilance remains imperative due to persistent wild poliovirus transmission risks driven by cross-border and inter-provincial population movement. He appealed to parents, community leaders, educators, and religious scholars to cooperate fully with mobile vaccination teams and address local concerns through accurate health information.

The EOC coordinator reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reaching every eligible child, strengthening public trust, and supporting frontline vaccinators until Pakistan achieves complete polio eradication.