Islamabad : While UNICEF and WHO have applauded Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio by ensuring that its vaccination programmes continued even during COVID-19 surges, both agencies have called for greater solidarity and more investment to sustain the momentum and reach every child with life-saving vaccines.
These remakes were made by UNICEF’s South Asia Regional Director George Laryea-Adjei and WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari as they concluded a week-long joint visit to Pakistan. The visit coincided with the first Polio Oversight Board visit to Pakistan and launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s new 2022-2026 strategy.
“We know that the most important relationship in polio eradication is between the vaccinator and the child’s family. Without communication and trust, there is no vaccination. This week, I have seen a renewed focus on bolstering that relationship in the most high-risk areas of Pakistan. I appreciate the huge role played by frontline works in building that trust, and the support provided by the government and partners to these frontline workers. I leave Pakistan filled with hope that all hands are on deck to finish the last mile in the journey to eradicate polio in the country,” said George Laryea-Adjei.
Commenting on the mission, Dr. Mandhari said, “I have witnessed a back-to-basics approach to raise campaign quality and most importantly the need for laser focus on repeatedly missed children by provincial Health Ministers and Chief Secretaries—this is the only way we will slash the number of missed children down to zero. The GPEI leadership has a role to play in turning the tide in Pakistan, but the real leader must be the government of Pakistan, and this mission has showcased the diligence and accountability Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government are applying to eradication.”
The Regional Directors also noted the opportunity for Pakistan to capitalize on the very few polio cases in the country and for GPEI partners to optimize support for intensified efforts by national and provincial governments to end polio. They commended the successes yet warned against complacency and urged to continue the hard work until the last child is reached with vaccination.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where wild poliovirus is endemic, and together constitute one epidemiological block.