By Shahina Maqbool
The Pakistan Postal Services joined the anti-polio fraternity here Tuesday by designating 80 of its General Post Offices (GPOs) across the country as special fixed centres for polio immunization, thereby contributing to fortification of existing efforts for complete eradication of the disabling disease.
Announcing the decision at a short and crisp ceremony, Post Master General Ghulam Akbar informed that in the first phase of the handshake, polio teams will be available in each of the 80 GPOs. The organization has already launched 0.5 million ‘Polio-Free Pakistan’ postage stamps of Rs5 denomination. “We are alive to the issue of polio eradication and are convinced that if China, Iran and Bangladesh can accomplish the goal within three to four immunisation campaigns, Pakistan can too,” he resolved.
Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mehreen Bhutto, who was supposed to be the chief guest at the ceremony, failed to show up on account of other pre-occupations. The deputy national manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation Dr. Faisal Mansoor made up for her absence by reading out a message on her behalf.
“Achieving polio eradication cannot be the job of the health sector alone. This national movement can only succeed through strong inter-sectoral collaboration. Polio eradication must become everybody’s business. We will not rest till the disease is completely eradicated,” were some of the key resolutions contained in her speech.
Dr. Faisal termed the involvement of Pakistan Post as symbolizing the nation’s collective resolve to fight disease and disability in Pakistan. “We need partnerships because our efforts to rid Pakistan of polio need inputs from domains that fall outside the health sector. Such partnerships help to build trust within communities; that, in turn, enables access to children,” he stated. Dr. Faisal recommended that postmen should also be utilized as messengers in the fight against polio. He specifically appreciated the efforts of Mazhar Nisar of the Ministry of Health and Babar Bin Atta of Unicef towards mobilising inter-sectoral support for the Polio Eradication Initiative.
The National Highways and Motorways Police, National Database and Registration Authority, Islamabad Traffic Police, Lahore Traffic Police, Peshawar Traffic Police, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Pakistan Television are some of the key non-health actors that are helping to vaccinate thousands of missed children during every polio round.
A three-day nationwide round of the polio campaign concludes today (Wednesday). Targeting over 33 million children, the campaign is recording intense activity across the country with DCOs and EDOs providing leadership to the effort. Special arrangements have been made through over 9,400 fixed centres, polio points at highway and motorway toll plazas, airports, bus stops, railway stations, district borders besides 86,720 vaccination teams visiting door-to-door. Children entering Pakistan through 16 checkposts at the Pak-Afghan border will also be immunised during the campaign.
Pakistan has reported 78 cases of polio so far this year. Of these, NWFP has reported 45 cases whereas Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan share 15, 11 and 7 cases, respectively. Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have not reported any cases during the current year. Swat is currently leading the city-wise polio case count by reporting 20 cases. Peshawar, which had reported maximum number of polio cases (24) last year, has remained polio-free so far this year due to effective campaigns and better management.