Eradication of polio top priority, says CS

PESHAWAR: Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz on Friday said that eradication of poliovirus was the top priority of the government.

The district administration has been directed that any sort of negligence will not be tolerated against the targets of the polio eradication programme.

The chief secretary issued the directives while presiding over a meeting of the provincial task force on polio eradication, said a handout.

The emergency operation centre coordinator briefed him about the preparations of the entire polio eradication drive, which is going to commence from September 17 to cater children under the age of 5.

Dr. Kazim Niaz appreciated the programme team, polio workers, police and district administrations for their efforts in the previous year regarding the eradication of poliovirus, stating that no case was reported the entire year because of the effective polio eradication campaigns throughout the province.

The chief secretary stressed the role of the media, elected representatives and religious scholars in addressing the refusals to polio vaccination, saying the government was

making every effort to eliminate the virus from the region.

He further said that the polio workers must be provided foolproof security so that the targets of polio eradication must be achieved.