ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, has announced the elimination of trachoma disease from the country and expressed hope that this disease will not return to Pakistan.
Addressing the ceremony held in Islamabad regarding the eradication of trachoma, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, said that today is a happy day in the history of Pakistan as we announce the elimination of trachoma from the country.
He stated that this achievement was made possible only with the grace of Allah and due to the excellent efforts of the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan, provincial governments, NGOs, and WHO Pakistan, which have allowed us to control this disease and prevent millions of people from losing their sight.
He commended the efforts of the provincial governments, NGOs, and the WHO Pakistan team to eradicate this disease, adding that just as trachoma was eradicated, we hope this disease will not return to Pakistan again.
PM said the need for tightened monitoring to ensure that this disease does not return. He also pointed out that the eradication of polio is a top priority and noted that hepatitis disease is spreading rapidly in Pakistan.
For its elimination, a major initiative is to be taken in Punjab, and he hopes that Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz will advance this program.
Shehbaz expressed his readiness to assist the provinces in eliminating hepatitis and thanked all those who have worked together to receive the certificate of elimination of trachoma from WHO today, which has saved Pakistan from it.
He concluded by saying that, like trachoma, we can make Pakistan excel in all other fields, provided we prepare ourselves for these challenges. He affirmed that we have experts, doctors, and field officers, and if we work together, we can achieve success in every field of life.
