Dr Shahzad Baig, the nationwide coordinator of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, has been included within the listing of 100 world leaders within the subject of well being by Time journal, bringing an honour for the healthcare group in he South Asian nation.
Featured within the ‘TIME100 HEALTH’ as one of the influential folks within the subject, Dr Baig will get much-needed recognition for his management and efforts to finish polio within the nation, making the honour a big achievement for Pakistan on the international stage.
Earlier than arriving in Pakistan to steer anti-polio efforts, he served in Nigeria as technical adviser for the nation’s polio eradication initiative, which was a hit, because the African nation was declared polio-free in 2020. Beneath his management, Time maintains, Pakistan would be the subsequent polio-free nation.
Dr Baig’s profile on Time has been penned by Jeffrey Kluger, the editor at giant on the American journal, identified for his protection of area, science and local weather.
“In 2019, polio disabled or killed 147 folks in Pakistan; since Baig assumed the place, in 2021, case counts have plummeted, with solely six kids stricken in 2023. The objective is to convey that quantity to zero by 2026,” Kluger wrote, praising the Pakistani medic.
Baig, based on Kluger, has remained on the forefront of ending polio in Pakistan within the context of extremists attacking polio staff and propagating towards polio vaccination.
“Beneath his management, the federal government has deployed 400,000 vaccinators and 80,000 safety personnel to inoculate greater than 90 million kids this yr alone, with one other 24 million to return in a springtime vaccination drive,” the Time editor at giant added.
“His inclusion on this esteemed listing is a testomony to his dedication to the mission of Polio eradication from Pakistan!” acknowledged the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme on its Instagram profile.
