Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday that polio eradication remained a national priority, adding that achieving a polio-free Pakistan required a “modern, integrated strategy that addresses all challenges”.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic, with the disease mostly affecting children under five, and sometimes causing lifelong paralysis. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

“Polio eradication remains a national priority,” Kamal said during his visit to the Sindh Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for Polio in Karachi today to assess the ongoing efforts to eradicate the disease.

“Achieving a polio-free Pakistan requires a modern, integrated strategy that addresses all challenges,” Kamal said, according to a press release issued by the health ministry.