Pakistani doctor named among Time's 100 most influential people in health

The national coordinator of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, Dr Shahzad Baig, has been recognised as one of the 100 most influential figures in global health by Time magazine for his contributions towards eradicating polio virus from the South Asian nation.

He successfully worked as a technical advisor for Nigeria's polio eradication initiative, which declared the country polio-free in 2020. Pakistan is poised to be the next polio-free nation under his leadership.

Editor at large at the American magazine, Jeffrey Kluger, who covers science, space, and climate, lauded Dr Baig's contributions to Pakistan's polio eradication efforts.

"In 2019, polio disabled or killed 147 people in Pakistan; since Baig assumed the position, in 2021, case counts have plummeted, with only six children stricken in 2023. The goal is to bring that number to zero by 2026," he wrote. 

Highlighting his tireless efforts, Jeffrey Kluger praised Pakistani medic for leading the fight against polio in Pakistan despite facing threats of violent attacks and anti-vaccination propaganda.

"Under his leadership, the government has deployed 400,000 vaccinators and 80,000 security personnel to inoculate more than 90 million children this year alone, with another 24 million to come in a springtime vaccination drive," he further noted.

Pakistan's Polio Eradication Programme also felicitated Dr Shahzad Baig on Instagram for receiving this honour.

"His inclusion in this esteemed list is a testament to his dedication to the mission of Polio eradication from Pakistan!" the post read.