First Lady urges collective efforts for polio-free Pakistan

First Lady Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari has called for sustained and coordinated national efforts to eradicate polio, urging parents, communities and relevant institutions to ensure that no child was left unprotected against the preventable disease. In her message on World Polio Day, she reaffirmed the commitment to building a polio-free Pakistan where every child could grow up healthy and protected from the disease. Recalling her personal connection with the polio eradication campaign, the First Lady said her mother, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, had launched Pakistan's first nationwide polio eradication campaign in 1994 and personally administered the first polio drops to her. She said the moment marked the beginning of Pakistan's national effort to eradicate polio and remained a deeply personal part of her association with the cause. The First Lady acknowledged the progress made in the fight against polio but emphasised that the mission remained incomplete, warning that every child missed during vaccination campaigns continued to face the risk of infection. She stressed the need to ensure that no child was left behind, particularly in communities where reaching families remained challenging. Urging parents and caregivers to welcome polio vaccination teams and ensure their children received the recommended doses during every campaign, she said protecting children from polio was a decision that could shape their future. She also highlighted the role of community elders, teachers and local leaders in helping families understand the importance of repeated vaccination and encouraging wider participation in eradication efforts. Paying tribute to frontline polio workers, particularly women vaccinators, the First Lady commended their dedication in reaching children despite challenging conditions and called for their continued respect and support. She also acknowledged the essential role of security personnel protecting vaccination teams, stressing that attacks on those working to safeguard children must not deter the country from pursuing its national eradication goal. The First Lady said polio eradication required consistent and coordinated efforts by the government, health workers, parents and communities, with vaccination campaigns, community engagement and support for frontline personnel progressing together. Emphasising that every missed child took the country further from its objective, she called for sustained efforts until every child in Pakistan was protected against polio. She expressed confidence that a polio-free Pakistan was within reach, provided every segment of society remained committed to the cause and contributed to the collective national effort.