Afghanistan outpacing Pakistan in polio eradication efforts: Health Minister

KARACHI: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that Afghanistan is surpassing Pakistan in efforts to eradicate polio, warning that it might achieve this goal first, ARY News reported.

Speaking at the 6th International Medical Research Conference organized by the Health Research Advisory Board at the Gates Pharma Auditorium in Karachi, Kamal expressed his hope that both countries could eliminate polio simultaneously.

Despite significant health research in Pakistan, Kamal noted a lack of implementation. He emphasized that technology, particularly mobile phones, could address healthcare challenges. The minister highlighted deficiencies in primary and secondary healthcare, with tertiary care hospitals handling 70% of patient loads due to these gaps.

The conference was attended by officials from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the National Institute of Health in Islamabad, and representatives from public and private hospitals and universities.

Kamal announced that each citizen’s national identity card number will soon serve as their medical record number to improve healthcare management. He pledged to ensure the implementation of research and reports from the Health Research Advisory Board.

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It is important to mention here that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed that as a result of the dedicated nationwide anti-polio campaigns, not a single case of polio had been reported in the country since February 10, 2025.

The prime minister commended the efforts of relevant government institutions, international organizations, and partners to make Pakistan polio-free.

He directed the relevant authorities to ensure awareness and community mobilization regarding the anti-polio campaign across the country.

“It must be ensured that every child under five years of age is administered the polio vaccine during the anti-polio campaign starting from April 21,” he added.