LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday welcomed a major breakthrough in the province’s anti-polio campaign after the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that 31 environmental samples collected from 19 districts of Punjab had tested negative for poliovirus. Chairing a special meeting to review polio eradication measures, the chief minister was informed that environmental samples collected from Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Attock, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Jhang, Khanewal, Mianwali, Okara, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha and Sialkot were found free of the virus.
Describing the development as a historic achievement, CM Maryam Nawaz said that, for the first time in Punjab’s history, environmental samples from 19 districts had tested negative for poliovirus. She noted that samples from high-risk districts had also returned negative results for the first time, reflecting the success of the government’s anti-polio strategy. The CM appreciated the efforts of the Health Department, the provincial polio eradication team, the World Health Organisation and other international partners for their continued support in combating the disease. She paid tribute to polio workers, volunteers, supervisors and monitors serving in union councils across the province, describing them as the real heroes behind the achievement. CM Maryam Nawaz said Punjab was now closer than ever to becoming a polio-free province, adding that the significant decline in poliovirus circulation demonstrated effective planning, strong political commitment and foolproof monitoring. She noted that special measures had been taken to ensure access to high-risk union councils, mobile populations and migrant communities. “Every child in Punjab is dear to me, and protecting them from every form of disability remains my foremost priority,” she said. While terming the negative environmental samples a major success, she stressed that there was no room for complacency until complete eradication of the disease was achieved. The CM urged parents to ensure that their children received polio drops and appealed to religious scholars, community leaders and citizens to actively support vaccination efforts. She emphasized that eradication of polio was a shared responsibility and called upon the public to cooperate fully with polio teams visiting homes to protect children from the crippling disease. “Until the last child is protected, our fight against polio will continue,” she added.