Dr Shahzad Baig steps down as head of Pakistan's polio eradication programme
Pakistan
A bureaucrat is likely to lead National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) for polio
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Dr Shahzad Baig, coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, announced his resignation from the post.
Dr Baig, who was recently included in the list of 100 most influential people across the world in the field of health in 2024 by Time magazine, confirmed the development, saying he had stepped down for “personal reasons”.
The resignation of Mr Baig comes after the government decided to appoint a bureaucrat to lead the polio programme in the country.
He has been facing criticism over the spread of the crippling disease in Pakistan, with the virus detected in at least 153 environmental samples across 39 districts.
Pakistan has so far reported three polio case in 2024. The third polio case of the year has been reported from Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan.
According to the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio at the National Institute of Health, wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) was detected in stool samples collected from a child in Darozai union council of Killa Abdullah. The affected child developed symptoms of paralysis on April 20.
Meanwhile, reports said a bureaucrat would head the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) for polio amid the resurgence of the virus in the country.
