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LAHORE, Oct 30 (APP): Punjab Minister for Health and Population Khawaja Imran Nazir has announced that the provincial health department, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), will begin collecting environmental samples as part of renewed efforts to eradicate polio from the province. He said these samples will also be subjected to third-party audits to ensure transparency and accuracy.
Addressing a media advocacy seminar organized by WHO at a local hotel on Thursday, Khawaja Imran Nazir said there must be a deeper reason why Pakistan has not yet succeeded in completely eliminating polio — a disease that continues to endanger the future of children.
The minister directed the Health Department to thoroughly examine all factors to identify gaps and challenges preventing complete eradication, despite extensive efforts made over the years. He stressed that polio eradication is a collective responsibility that requires active participation from all segments of society.
Expressing concern over the persistence of the disease, Khawaja Imran Nazir noted that while the government fully trusts the sincerity and dedication of its development partners, it remains troubling that polio transmission has not yet been fully halted in the province.
He said Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif is deeply committed to achieving complete eradication of polio, emphasizing that a better and safer future for children depends on correcting the course and refining the government’s strategies. “The time has come to introduce legislation for polio eradication,” he asserted.
The event was also attended by Focal Person to the Chief Minister on Polio Eradication Uzma Kardar, Director Polio Eradication Program Adeel, CEO Health Lahore Dr. Asif, and a large number of media representatives.