Polio campaign extended to age 15 amid new cases in older children

Islamabad: The federal government has decided to administer the polio vaccine to children up to the age of 15.

Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal shared several key decisions during a talk show with Asif Bashir Chaudhry. He announced that within three months, every medicine sold across the country will carry a barcode. Citizens will be able to scan the barcode using their mobile phones to verify the authenticity of the medicine, check its expiry date, and access other essential information.

He added that preparations are complete, but the pharmaceutical industry has requested three months to implement barcoding on medicines already in circulation.

The health minister revealed that after polio cases were detected in children over five years old, the government has decided to expand the vaccination campaign to include children up to 15 years of age. Initially, this campaign will be launched in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The new target for complete eradication of polio in Pakistan is December 2026.

He further stated that major reforms are being introduced in the new National Health Policy, which will soon be approved by the Prime Minister. Additionally, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) is being digitalized, with an official launch scheduled in a week by the Prime Minister.

Kamal also mentioned that he had proposed a 50% tax on sugary drinks to protect public health, but the proposal was not accepted by the government.

He said the Nursing Council laws are being completely overhauled, as Pakistan needs 900,000 nurses and the world needs 2.5 million — efforts are underway to meet this demand through revolutionary steps.

Highlighting a critical health concern, he noted that in Pakistan, one person dies every minute due to a heart attack.