Pakistan Polio Eradication Program chief Dr Shahzad Baig 'resigns'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Polio Eradication Program chief Dr Shahzad Baig has ‘resigned’ from the office upon ‘failure’ in containing the spread of the crippling virus, ARY News reported on Friday, citing health ministry sources. 

Sources said Dr Shahzad Baig was asked to ‘quit’ as he failed to contain the spread of polio virus being the head of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program.

Shahzad Baig was appointed as the head of the anti-polio program during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government’s tenure and the incumbent government was not ‘happy’ with his performance.

Baig has forwarded his resignation to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Pakistan has reported three cases of poliovirus in 2024 so far, while 153 sewage samples also tested positive for the poliovirus.

Read more: Poliovirus found in five more sewage samples

Yesterday, the National Polio Testing Laboratory released a report on sewage samples from 5 districts, confirming the presence of poliovirus.

According to sources, the virus was found in sewage samples from Karachi, Quetta and Kohat. This year, 153 out of 39 districts’ sewage samples have tested positive for poliovirus.

The sampling for polio testing was conducted from May 9 to 15 in 5 districts. Karachi East’s Rashid Minhas Road and Machhar Colony sewage samples tested positive for poliovirus, sources said.