Dr. Shahzad Baig, the national coordinator of Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme, has been recognized for his leadership in the fight against polio and has been featured in Time magazine’s list of 100 world leaders in the field of health, known as ‘TIME100 HEALTH‘.
Before assuming his role in Pakistan, Dr. Baig served as a technical adviser for Nigeria’s successful polio eradication initiative, which led to the country being declared polio-free in 2020. Under his guidance, Time magazine predicts that Pakistan will be the next nation to achieve polio-free status.
Jeffrey Kluger, the editor-at-large of Time magazine, authored Dr. Baig’s profile, highlighting the significant reduction in polio cases since he took office. In 2021, only six children were affected by polio in Pakistan, down from 147 cases in 2019. Dr. Baig’s goal is to eliminate polio entirely by 2026.
Despite challenges such as attacks on polio workers by extremists, Dr. Baig has remained steadfast in his commitment to eradicating polio. His leadership has resulted in the deployment of 400,000 vaccinators and 80,000 security personnel to vaccinate over 90 million children this year alone, with an additional 24 million planned for a springtime vaccination drive.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme celebrated Dr. Baig’s inclusion in the prestigious list, emphasizing his dedication to the mission of polio eradication from Pakistan.
“Under his leadership, the government has deployed 400,000 vaccinators and 80,000 security personnel to inoculate more than 90 million children this year alone, with another 24 million to come in a springtime vaccination drive,” the Time editor added.
“His inclusion in this esteemed list is a testament to his dedication to the mission of Polio eradication from Pakistan!” states the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme on its Instagram profile
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