ISLAMABAD:Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Abdul Qadir Patel on Monday launched a sub-national polio vaccination campaign by administering polio drops to children.
During this five-day campaign, over 25 million children under five years of age will be vaccinated in 83 districts of Pakistan, including southern Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) where the current outbreak was reported.
Addressing the ceremony, the minister said that recent polio cases have made Pakistan more determined to fight the virus till its complete elimination.
Qadir Patel said, “Pakistan’s Polio Programme continues to work hard to reach the zero polio case, and the recent cases in Pakistan have made us more determined to fight this virus till the end. Since the first case appeared, the health ministry and the polio programme have been working very closely together to meet the needs of the hour and effectively interrupt polio virus transmission.”
Country head of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Palitha Mahipala said, “The continued presence of any circulating polio virus in any country of the region has catastrophic consequences for children who are paralyzed and poses a threat to national, regional, and global health.”
He said: “For our region to be free of polio, we have to get ahead of the virus and strengthen immunity levels in all at-risk children across the country, particularly those who are inaccessible or persistently missed by routine immunization and polio vaccination campaigns.”
He appreciated the efforts of Pakistan’s polio workers in ensuring the vaccination of every child under five years of age against polio. He added Pakistan has done a tremendous job in controlling the disease due to the dedication of its front-line polio workers.