SWAT: Speakers at a workshop held here the other day urged journalists to highlight the importance of vaccination and remove misconceptions about polio vaccine to save children from the crippling disease.
The daylong workshop was organized by WHO Pakhtunkhwa in a local hotel here on Thursday. The event was attended by District Health officer Swat Muhammad Saleem Khan, WHO Malakand Division coordinator Dr Khawaja Irfan and journalists of Swat Press Club.
The speakers said that fair media reports on health issues including polio eradication initiative would educate the public about the significance of vaccination that would help the government to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Dr Khawaja Irfan said that currently, only Pakistan and Afghanistan have reported cases of the polio virus, making it crucial for the two countries to work together to eradicate the disease.
He said that the media should educate people about essential immunization services of the government to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases and bring down morbidity and mortality rate.
During the workshop, officials emphasized that polio poses a threat not only to children but also to adults of all ages. They stressed the criticality of administering polio drops to all children, including those visiting tourist destinations like Kalam, Madyan, Bahrain and Malam Jabba, where teams have been deployed along internal roadways.
Dr Irfan said that southern districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were hit hard by polio with frequent outbreaks of the disease that paralyzed 17 children in 2019 and so far, making the rest of the children vulnerable to the crippling virus.
Dr Irfan further spoke about the history of the disease, types of polio vaccines and need for repeated doses for eradication of the virus.
He appreciated journalists for their responsible reporting about polio.