Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari's daughter is expected to be named as Pakistan's ambassador for polio eradication.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was the first Pakistani child to receive polio drops following the launch of the first immunisation campaign in the country by her mother and slain former premier Benazir Bhuto in 1994.
Her name was proposed as the ambassador for polio eradication in a formal document submitted to the government by the Health Ministry, media reports said.
"This will reflect that she (Aseefa) is carrying forward the legacy of Benazir Bhutto, who launched the first campaign in 1994 by giving her youngest daughter polio drops," the Health Minister was quoted as saying.
Aseefa's appointment is likely to be formally announced during the launch ceremony of the next round of the nationwide polio eradication campaign on October 10.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will officially decorate Aseefa as the country's ambassador for polio eradication during a ceremony that is also expected to be attended by all four provincial Chief Ministers, ministers of key departments like the interior, communications, education and religious affairs, representatives of local and foreign health agencies and other important stakeholders.
According to experts, had Pakistan not held successive polio rounds at the current magnitude, over 20,000 children would have been crippled every year in the country. Forty-five polio cases were reported in the country this year.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 01, 2009, 16:10