17 April 2004	Saturday	26 Safar 1425

ISLAMABAD, April, 16: The United Nations System in Pakistan has taken the initiative to reach out to the highest policy- makers and government executives in Pakistan to place the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) as a top priority at all levels.

The aim of the initiative was to brief the governors and chief ministers on the progress of the PEI in their respective provinces and identify the challenges being faced by the programme.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, Onder Yucer; Abdul Qadir Baloch, National Senior Policy Coordinator for Polio Eradication Drive, and WHO representative Khalife Bile held a meeting with the NWFP Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah and submitted him a brief summary about the polio situation in NWFP and FATA indicating the required operational interventions to interrupt poliovirus transmission.

The governor expressed his full support to the programme and promised to ensure implementation of all the proposed recommendations. He instructed his health team to assist him in launching the forthcoming campaign in Khyber Agency on April 19.

Abdul Qadir Baloch, Omer Abdi and Mr Bile also held a meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi at the Punjab House, Islamabad, and presented him a brief summary of the polio situation in the province.

The Punjab chief minister was informed about the required operational interventions to expedite the interruption of poliovirus transmission in the province. He was requested to approach the district Nazims and DCOs to ensure high quality campaigns at this operational level.

The chief minister accepted the request of the team to launch the forthcoming polio campaign in Lahore on April 20. Later, the UN team met with the Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf at Balochistan House, Islamabad. The team shared with him a summary prepared by the WHO country office indicating the progress made and challenges being faced by the programme in Balochistan.