ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed concern over the emergence of new polio cases as he vowed to eradicate the disease from Pakistan by 2025 and instructed authorities to ensure the vaccine is administered to children in areas where inoculation drives have been targeted by militants.
Polio is a highly infectious disease that affects children under the age of five by invading their nervous system, leading to paralysis or even death, with Pakistan and Afghanistan remaining the only countries in the world where it is still endemic.
Pakistan has reported 13 cases this year, creating significant concern among local health authorities and foreign donors working to eradicate the disease. Polio vaccination efforts in Pakistan have been hampered by various factors, including parental refusal in remote areas and the targeting of polio teams in militancy-infested regions.
The prime minister chaired a meeting in Karachi, which was also attended via video link by Bill Gates of the Gates Foundation and Dr. Chris Elias of Global Development, to review the overall situation.
“The prime minister stressed the goal of completely eradicating the virus by 2025 and directed that all state resources be utilized to achieve this, ensuring that every child in Pakistan receives multiple doses of the polio vaccine, especially in security-challenged areas,” said a statement circulated by his office.
“He noted the concern over new polio cases but expressed confidence that, with the cooperation of provincial governments and partners, the disease could be defeated,” it added.
The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate polio and thanked the Gates Foundation for its support, particularly in the health care sector.
He also expressed gratitude to other governmental partners involved in the polio eradication efforts, emphasizing a whole-of-government approach.
The meeting was briefed on the current polio strategy, with reports of recent polio cases in Qila Abdullah in Balochistan and Chakwal in Punjab province.
It also discussed the improvement in monitoring systems for polio eradication and the positive progress in coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Pakistani government officials also highlighted their plan to launch nationwide polio vaccination campaigns in September, October and December this year.
Pakistan PM vows to eradicate polio by 2025 amid rising concerns over new cases
https://arab.news/586zt
Pakistan PM vows to eradicate polio by 2025 amid rising concerns over new cases
- Sharif chairs a meeting to review the government’s polio strategy following the emergence of 13 cases this year
- He instructs authorities to administer vaccine to children across the country, particularly in militancy-hit areas
Pakistan, China ink 24 agreements to develop digital corridor for IT cooperation
- Both countries sign one government-to-government, seven government-to-business and 16 business-to-business MoUs
- Digital corridor will create new avenues for Pakistani tech companies, expand cooperation with China in ICT, says state media
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed 24 agreements to develop a digital corridor aimed at enhancing information technology (IT) cooperation between the two states, state-run media reported on Monday.
The memoranda of understanding between the two sides were signed in Beijing, according to the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
The MoUs include one government-to-government, seven government-to-business and 16 business-to-business agreements.
“The initiative focuses on developing an innovative and pragmatic digital corridor to enhance cooperation in the IT industry,” APP reported.
APP said the digital corridor will create new avenues for Pakistani tech companies and expand bilateral cooperation with China in the information and communication technology infrastructure development.
The development is in line with Pakistan’s recent efforts to boost IT exports and enhance digital cooperation with regional allies.
In November, Pakistan highlighted the “Digital Silk Road” as the next major phase of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) while proposing new technology partnerships with Beijing, including joint ventures in 5G/6G, hardware manufacturing and ICT components.
Launched in 2015, CPEC is a multibillion-dollar connectivity program linking western China to the Arabian Sea. The initiative has historically focused on energy projects, highways, power plants and the Gwadar port, with committed investments estimated at around $60 billion.
As the two countries enter CPEC’s second phase, cooperation is expanding beyond physical infrastructure into technology, digital governance, manufacturing and skills development.
The Digital Silk Road is Beijing’s framework for cross-border connectivity in fiber, cloud services, data routing, smart manufacturing and emerging technologies. It is increasingly positioned as the backbone of CPEC’s next stage.
