PM Shehbaz urges sustained efforts to eliminate polio, hepatitis from Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stressed the urgent need to eradicate polio and hepatitis in the country through sustained efforts, similar to the successful elimination of Trachoma, a contagious eye infection that causes inflammation on the inner eyelids.

Speaking at a function where Dr Lou Dapeng, Head of Mission for the World Health Organization in Pakistan, presented a Trachoma-free Pakistan certificate to Prime Minister Sharif, he said that the certificate symbolized the dedication of the Health Ministry and other stakeholders in the effort to eliminate the disease.

Trachoma is a disease caused by infection by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium and can result in irreversible blindness if left untreated. This achievement marks a significant milestone in public health.

The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to sustain their hard work and dedication, emphasizing that such efforts could elevate Pakistan to new heights of excellence, as long as they were prepared to tackle the challenges ahead.

He recalled that during his tenure as Punjab chief minister, he initiated effective programmes to combat the diseases, and hoped that the same would continue under the current leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and in other provinces as well. He offered the cooperation of the federal government in that regard.

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PM Shehbaz appreciated the collaborative efforts of the Health Ministry, provincial governments, NGOs, experts, and other departments in eradicating Trachoma, which had helped save the sight of hundreds.

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He instructed the relevant authorities to take preventive measures, and establish effective supervision and checks and balances to stop the reemergence of the disease in the country.

He also directed the authorities to leverage existing technical capacity and expertise, urging field officers, doctors and others to collaborate effectively to achieve success in all areas of life, just as they did in eliminating Trachoma.

He thanked Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Berath, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination and his team and urged them to promptly complete the projects developed at the federal level to benefit the people.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) in a press release announced that Pakistan had successfully eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem, becoming the 19th country to achieve the milestone.

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It attributed the success to the collaborative efforts of health professionals, communities, and organizations such as Sightsavers, Christian Blind Mission, and the Fred Hollows Foundation.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the dedication of Pakistan’s health workers and emphasized the importance of collective action in combating preventable diseases.

WHO Regional Director Hanan Balkhy noted that Pakistan’s elimination of two neglected tropical diseases showcased its commitment to public health.

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Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Pakistan, in his remarks, said the achievement would prevent thousands from experiencing visual impairment or blindness. The effective implementation of the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy – comprising Surgery for Trichiasis, Antibiotics, Facial Cleanliness, and Environmental Improvement – was crucial to the success, highlighting that the eradication of neglected tropical diseases was an attainable goal.