TAG meeting to assess status of polio eradication

By our correspondents

March 30, 2017

Islamabad

A two-day meeting of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on polio eradication begins today (Thursday) to assess the programme progress, opportunities, and the remaining challenges towards achieving the goal of halting poliovirus transmission.

The last TAG urged Pakistan to maintain the high quality of campaigns being undertaken and to focus on improving overall performance and results in the polio core reservoir areas, to identify and address residual risks, and to act swiftly in response to any risks.

Senior Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) representatives including the Regional Director for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific will attend the meeting. Minister of State for Health, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, as well as federal and provincial health secretaries will also join in. Together, they will deliberate with TAG members on the progress made since the last meeting in June 2016 and will assess plans for upcoming months.

Pakistan has reported two polio cases in 2017 so far, and even though current polio epidemiology and programme momentum remains the enviable, Pakistan is yet to achieve the target of zero cases.

Tackling the virus in the Pakistan-Afghanistan single epidemiological block and for both countries to closely collaborate with one another will be a driving factor for the world to be polio-free. Representatives of the Polio Eradication Programme in Afghanistan will therefore also be present at the meeting to strengthen coordination. The two National Emergency Operation Centres of Pakistan and Afghanistan will attend each other’s TAG as a step further to address common challenges.

At this juncture, the virus is under immense pressure; the goal remains to interrupt polio transmission and sustain gains until eradication. Pakistan as a nation will need to stay focused and united in order to achieve this landmark not only for our children but also for the world’s children.