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Friday March 29, 2024

Rotary chief visits: Pakistan at a crucial time in fight against polio

By Our Correspondent
August 07, 2022

Islamabad : The newly-appointed president of Rotary International, Jennifer Jones, visited the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) here.

Her visit comes at a highly crucial time when the Polio Eradication Programme of Pakistan— one of two remaining polio endemic countries—is struggling to contain the crippling virus that has affected 14 children so far this year and has recently been detected in sewage samples of seven major cities.

“At the start of my presidency, I’m proud to highlight and prioritise Rotary’s top goal of polio eradication by touring Pakistan and spotlighting the women health workers who play a critical role in protecting children from this vaccine-preventable disease,” Jennifer Jones said during a meeting with the polio leadership at NEOC. Jennifer is Rotary’s first woman president since the organisation was founded in 1905.

The meeting included representatives of the Pakistan government, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control.

“Rotary’s spirit of service above self is an inspiration to people all over the world. Some of us sitting here may not have been able to walk today if Rotarians had not envisioned a polio-free world,” said NEOC Coordinator Shahzad Baig.

President Jones toured the Polio Control Room, 1166 helpline and the vaccine warehouse. Her visit to the NEOC came following her trip to Karachi where she met female health workers in the field.

Speaking about the importance of women’s engagement in eradication efforts, Polio Director for WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, Dr Hamid Jafari, said, “Polio programmes around the world have benefited greatly from the contributions of women at the forefront. It is heartening to see President Jones’ directly engage and motivate women vaccinators who make up 65 percent of the polio workforce in Pakistan.”

For over three decades, Rotary has been the driving force in the effort to end polio worldwide and is a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.