ISLAMABAD: In the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurances, Member of National Assembly (MNA) Zehra Wadood Fatmi was told that the number of polio cases in Pakistan will be reduced within the next six months.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA filed a notice in 2013 calling attention to the rapidly rising number of polio cases in Pakistan. In December 2013, the Minister of National Health Services (NHS), while replying to this notice, claimed that polio will be eradicated from the country within a year.

In the meeting on Monday, Ms Fatmi observed that not only had poliovirus been eradicated but over 300 cases were reported this year.

When the MNA reached the meeting, she found that NHS Minister Saira Afzal Tarar was not present and NHS Federal Secretary Ayub Sheikh replied on the minister’s behalf.

Standing committee chairperson recommends increasing remuneration for polio workers

Ms Fatmi said that there are complaints about the quality of vaccine, remuneration for polio workers and misuse of funds.

Federal Secretary Ayub Sheikh said that although a meaningful assurance was given by the minister that poliovirus would be eradicated in a year; there are problems of inaccessibility in North and South Waziristan where children cannot be vaccinated.

The secretary assured Ms Fatmi that aggressive campaigns against polio will be launched in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which are likely to reduce the number of polio cases in Pakistan.

“This is the first time since 2012 that we have managed to reach the children of North and South Waziristan. It was possible because of the army operation Zarb-i-Azb. People migrating from Fata were vaccinated at transit point,” he said.

The committee chairperson, Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, said that not only should the safety of polio workers be ensured but remuneration for them should also be increased.

“Polio workers have been getting Rs250 for a day’s work. It is unfair that they put their lives at risk for only Rs250,” she said.

The committee was informed that in provinces polio workers were paid Rs500 per day.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2015

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