Minister, CS mull over polio eradication strategy

LAHORE:Punjab Minister for Health and the Chief Secretary Punjab held an important meeting with a delegation of Polio Oversight Board (POB) at the Civil Secretariat on Friday and discussed current and future strategy for complete eradication of polio from Pakistan, especially Punjab.

According to a handout, the delegation appreciated the steps taken by the Punjab government to eradicate polio and termed them exemplary.

Speaking on the occasion, health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Bazdar, the provincial government was determined to make Punjab polio-free and all resources were being used for eradication of the disease from the province. She thanked the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF for their cooperation in polio eradication efforts in Punjab. The delegation comprised of POB Chairperson Dr Chris Elias, Dr Jay Wenger, WHO Polio Eradication Director Dr Hamid Jafari, Mr Aidan O’Leary, Mr Micheal Galway, Dr Shahzad Baig, Dr Altaf Bosan, Dr Zainal Abidin, Mr Hamish Young and representatives of the provincial EOC team, UNICEF and Rotary Provincial.

Dr Yasmin Rashid said that the targets were achieved by forming thousands of teams during the anti-polio campaign. She mentioned that coronavirus was a new challenge for the whole world and the provincial government was effectively countering it along with dengue and polio. She said the administration in Punjab was making the anti-polio campaign a success. She said that children would be saved from falling victim to polio. She said the role of lady health workers in the anti-polio campaigns was very important, adding that for the first time in history such a large number of doctors had been recruited and for the first time mail nurses have been recruited in Punjab.

The chief secretary said that eradication of polio was a national cause for which Punjab was playing its due role. He said that all the stakeholders were working together for the eradication of the deadly disease and full protection was being provided to the polio teams. He said that efforts had been intensified for the eradication of polio in the province and the anti-polio drive would be continued under a fully integrated strategy. Dr Chris Elias, the Chairperson, Polio Oversight Board, said that he appreciated the efforts of Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and the administration for the eradication of polio in Punjab. "We want a complete eradication of polio in the next five-year plan," he concluded.