Pak cricketers back UNICEF's bid to rid world of polio

Pakistan cricket team captain Misbah-ul Haq has pledged his backing to the international bid to rid the world of polio, as the national team has joined hands with Australia to dedicate their ongoing first Test to the fight to end the disease.

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) marks Friday as international polio day and both Pakistan and Australia cricket teams have dedicated the ongoing first Test to the fight to end the disease.

According to UNICEF figures, when the global effort to eradicate polio was launched in 1998, 3,50,000 children were paralyzed by polio each year in 125 countries, The Dawn reported.

That number has now been reduced by more than 99 percent. Only three countries have not stopped polio; Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria; and this year, only 247 cases have been reported worldwide, but more than 85 percent, 210, of those are in Pakistan.

Misbah said that his team is wholeheartedly behind the campaign against polio. He said that he and his team really want to be the part of this campaign and everybody is thinking that why Pakistan is only one of three countries where the polio exists, so he added that they must hit polio for a six.

The skipper said that as a player they have enjoyed their lives so they also want all other kids to play and added that he requests all the parents to have their kids vaccinated and be healthy and active citizens of Pakistan.

The UNICEF praised both teams' support. It said in a press release that Pakistan now holds the key to global polio eradication in its hands, adding that as long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio.

The UNICEF stated that failure to eradicate polio from the last remaining strongholds could result in as many as 2,00,000 new cases every year, within 10 years, across the world.