QUETTA: Minister of State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar said on Friday that areas where the government lacked access, including Waziristan and some other parts of the tribal region, had become hubs of poliovirus but a National Routine Immunisation Plan was being prepared to permanently eradicate the disease from the country.

“Tirah valley in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) is the largest area where the virus exists, while in the past it had also been reported in Waziristan and other areas where the government had no access because of anti-peace elements,” she said during a press conference at the Balochistan Assembly.

Take a look: Ulema against polio

She said the comprehensive immunisation plan would be aimed at eradicating the virus by next year.

“The prime minister has formed a Routine Immunisation Committee of the federal cabinet, comprising three members, including me and the defence minister, to prepare the strategy to permanently eradicate polio from the country,” she said.

The minister said the federal government was providing Rs100 million for reproductive, child and maternal health in Balochistan.

She said the federal government would support Balochistan authorities in their efforts to eradicate polio.

“We are also going to launch the Prime Minister’s Health Insurance Programme in Quetta, Pishin, Kachhi and Loralai districts,” she said.

Minister says National Routine Immunisation Plan is being prepared to permanently eradicate the crippling disease from the country

Ms Tarar said the national health ministry would arrange video conferences with all provincial governments so that officials of health departments in the provinces would not have to visit Islamabad.

She said despite the fact that anti-polio campaigns faced problems in areas where the law and order situation had worsened, a nationwide drive would be launched soon. She said the prime minister was paying special attention to solving the problems of Balochistan in order to remove the sense of deprivation among the people of the province.

Provincial Health Minister Mir Rehmat Saleh Baloch said terrorism and the law and order situation had caused some problems during anti-polio campaigns but vowed to eradicate the disease from Balochistan.

Officials of the World Health Programme and United Nations Fund for Children were also present.

Ikram Junaidi adds from Islamabad: According to an official statement issued in Islamabad, Ms Tarar expressed concern that of the 12 high-risk districts for polio in the country, four are from Balochistan.

“Provision of foolproof security for polio teams and the need for efforts to hire more female workers was emphasised. I and my team have assured the fullest support to the Balochistan government in their efforts to eradicate polio,” the minister said.

She noted that the Balochistan government had allocated Rs700 million for immunisation.

She was informed that 6,000 community health volunteers would be engaged to improve immunisation coverage in low coverage union councils by distributing vaccination cards, giving polio drops to eligible children and advocating with the community on routine immunisation.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2015

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