CM Maryam Nawaz Marks Polio Day, Development Information Day

Key Points:

No polio case reported in Punjab this year, CM says.
Sub-national anti-polio campaign in selected districts from 2 to 8 November 2026.
Over 1 crore children under five vaccinated in 13 sensitive districts.
Development information is a public right; Punjab Socio-Economic Registry data driving welfare.

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said Punjab reported no polio case this year and called development-related information a public right in separate messages on World Polio Day and World Development Information Day.

The chief minister called front-line polio workers national heroes and saluted their spirit and services, reiterating the commitment to 100 percent eradication of polio from Punjab.

She appealed to parents and communities to cooperate with polio teams, saying refusal of polio vaccination is a refusal of children’s better and safer future. The drops are completely safe, effective and vital for children’s lives and health, she said.

Parents must give two polio drops to children up to five years of age in every campaign, she said.

The provincial Emergency Operation Centre and the health department are active for complete eradication. Environmental samples are continuously tested across the province to stop the spread.

More than one crore children under five were vaccinated in 13 sensitive districts through the anti-polio campaign, she said.

Preparations are complete for a sub-national anti-polio campaign in selected districts from 2 to 8 November 2026, monitored by district health management teams, World Health Organization representatives and district administrations.

She said the campaign is succeeding, but without sustained efforts from all sides, polio could return.

The chief minister said information related to development is a public right and an informed public is proof of progress, adding that World Development Information Day highlights the need for public awareness about digital literacy.

Accurate development information ends corruption and delivers welfare scheme benefits directly to the people, she said. Digital technology can help achieve sustainable development goals.

Punjab’s historic development era has begun, with development reaching every city, town and village, she said, citing more than 45,000 kilometres of roads built or repaired and state-of-the-art Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics.

Accurate data from the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry is being used to end poverty and backwardness and ensure development, she said, adding that low-cost schemes like Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar are recognised worldwide.

She said equitable development can lift backward classes, the public appreciates every development project of the Punjab government. The information department is doing valuable work to raise public awareness about development information.