Cricket teams of Pakistan, Australia raise awareness about Polio eradication

ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 (APP):The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ramped up support for polio eradication by dedicating the second day of the Lahore test match between Pakistan and Australia to raising awareness on the importance of Polio eradication.

Under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership with the Polio Programme, the PCB facilitated various awareness-raising activities, including a shout-out by the players, promoting awareness messages, honoring Polio workers and Polio survivors, and ensuring their free access to the cricket match.

As cricket is popular and followed so closely in Pakistan, the test match provided a great opportunity to utilize the power of the game for promoting polio vaccination by reaching the many thousands of fans attending and millions watching the test globally.

“Cricketers, as national heroes are role models for the children and youth of Pakistan,” Dr. Shahzad Baig, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, said in a statement.

“I am so pleased and proud they are supporting the national mission of polio eradication and hope that their messages will reach some of the country’s hard to reach areas.”

He said, “I believe our work together with the PCB will help to reach parents and caregivers with an important message on vaccination. No child should ever be paralyzed by Polio because it is a disease that can easily be prevented by a very safe vaccine.” he added.

The PCB Chairman, Ramiz Raja, assured full support of the PCB including the Pakistan National Cricket Team players and officials to the Polio Programme. “The PCB is committed to play its role,” Ramiz Raja said.

“Together, we can bowl out Polio by focusing more on awareness-raising and promoting a culture of vaccine acceptance,” he added.

The Chairman while acknowledging the contributions of polio workers also said, “the entire Nation is proud of all polio workers for their commitment and hard work despite challenges in reaching every child across Pakistan.”

Pakistan recently marked a significant milestone with no wild polio case reported in the last 14 months, though the virus is still present in some parts of the country, and therefore it is a threat to all children in Pakistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries left with the polio virus and there is still an imminent risk of the polio virus to any unvaccinated child on either side of the border.