Preventing childhood paralysis: Joint efforts stressed to cope with situation

PESHAWAR: An orientation session on acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), a sudden and alarming condition that causes weakness or paralysis in children, was organised at the Paraplegic Centre Peshawar in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI-EPI).

Dr Amna Ahmad Khan, disease surveillance officer World Health Organisation (WHO) Peshawar chapter, explained how AFP often signals deeper threats like polio.She stressed the need for timely referrals, community-level surveillance and stronger coordination among healthcare institutions. “We can only win this fight if everyone, right from hospital staff to local volunteers, plays their part,” she emphasised.

Dr Muhammad Ilyas Syed, CEO PCP, while addressing the participants, reflected on the long and painful history of polio in Pakistan. “For decades, this disease has haunted our children, our families, and our future. We’ve come a long way, but the danger still lingers,” he said. Dr Ilyas stressed the urgent need to counter the myths and fears surrounding polio vaccination. “At PCP, we see the human cost of paralysis every day. We owe it to every child to spread awareness and protect them before it’s too late,” he went on to add.

He also announced that PCP staff would actively promote polio awareness among patients, families and community-based focal persons. “This message must travel beyond our walls to the communities, the schools, and the homes,” he added.

The participants appreciated PCP’s continued role as a responsible healthcare institution not only in rehabilitation but also in raising awareness on critical public health issues. The event highlighted the power of partnership and education in ensuring a polio-free future for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan in general.