Pakistani Doctor Listed in Time's Top 100 Health Influencers
By
May 4, 2024
- Dr Shahzad Baig is national coordinator of Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme
Pakistan is proud to celebrate as Dr. Shahzad Baig, a doctor from the country, is named one of the top 100 healthcare leaders in Time magazine’s “TIME100 HEALTH” list. Dr. Baig leads Pakistan’s efforts to fight polio as the national coordinator of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.
Before coming to Pakistan, Dr. Baig played a key role in Nigeria’s successful fight against polio, helping the country become polio-free in 2020. Time magazine believes that with Dr. Baig’s leadership, Pakistan can achieve the same success soon.
Jeffrey Kluger, a well-known editor at Time magazine, wrote about Dr. Baig’s accomplishments. He pointed out the significant drop in polio cases since Dr. Baig took charge, from 147 cases in 2019 to just six in 2023, with the goal of reaching zero cases by 2026.
Despite facing challenges like attacks on polio workers and anti-vaccine beliefs, Dr. Baig remains determined. Under his leadership, the government has mobilized hundreds of thousands of vaccinators and security personnel, vaccinating over 90 million children in a year.
