LAHORE: Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has received a major boost in fight against polio as two Pakistani cricketers including Muhammad Ali and Bismah Maroof, have joined the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative as polio ambassadors.
The ceremony to induct both cricketers into Pakistan End Polio Team was held at a local hotel on Saturday.
Head of the polio programme in Punjab and Emergency Operations Centre Coordinator Mr Khizer Afzaal led the ceremony from the front and welcomed the two Pakistani heroes as ambassadors.
Large number of people from different walks of life and EOC staff joined the ceremony where both players were given #PakistanEndPolioTeam kits.
Speaking on the occasion, the EOC Coordinator and head of the polio programme in Punjab Mr Khizer Afzaal lauded the sportsperson spirit of both cricketers and hoped the cooperation will flourish in the future, paying dividends for the children of Pakistan.
“The cricketer’s support in the national cause of polio eradication will be key in building an enabling environment for polio teams”, noted Mr Afzaal.
“We are focusing on implementing and delivering high quality campaigns – in terms of accessibility and information dissemination – to reach all children under five. We need to vaccinate 100 percent of children in order to achieve population immunity and prevent re-circulation. To realize this level of coverage our national heroes must reassure communities that polio vaccinations are safe and that parents can trust the program to keep their children safe”, emphasized the head of the polio programme.
In light of the fact that Pakistan suffered a new polio case in Karachi, Punjab has further prioritized the issue. Punjab has been polio-free since October 2020, but 12 environmental samples have tested positive this year so far. This indicates that every child is at risk until polio is completely eradicated from both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Punjab is fully cognizant of the potential impact on the country’s most populous province and remains committed to tracking and vaccinating all children.
“Polio eradication must remain an urgent priority. And we need to maintain the highest level of vigilance to keep Punjab polio-free in the current environment”, underlined Muhammad Ali and Bismah Maroof.
Muhammad Ali is a right Arm Medium Fast bowler who took 19 wickets in PSL season 9. He emerged in international cricket in 2022 after playing in a test match against England.
While, Bismah Maroof broke into the Pakistan cricket team as a 15-year-old and didn’t take long to establish herself as a regular.
The national cricketers announced to join polio eradication efforts and hoped that no child suffered from the crippling disease.
“I pray and hope that no child should suffer from lifelong paralysis due to polio. I commit to polio eradication efforts until the country becomes polio-free”, added Bismah.
Ali acknowledged the efforts of polio teams towards effective implementation of vaccination campaigns at field level irrespective of challenges.
Punjab deploys over 200,000 polio workers to vaccinate all children five years of age and below in the national inoculation campaigns. The teams have been instrumental in delivering the vaccines at doorsteps and serve as a frontline force in addressing concerns of the communities at all levels of implementation.
