QUETTA: Afghan and Pakistani officials have decided to improve the strategy for upcoming anti-polio campaigns in border areas of the two countries in order to reach the areas that were missed in the earlier campaigns and ensure that every child is vaccinated against the crippling disease.

A Pakistani delegation, led by chief of the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) of Balochistan Dr Syed Saifur Rehman, met Afghan Minister for Public Health Azizullah Kakar in Chaman and discussed anti-polio campaigns carried out recently in the border areas.

Also read: Pakistan, Afghanistan only countries left on polio-endemic nations list

A spokesman for the Eme­rgency Operation Centre of Balochistan said on Friday that officials of the two countries reviewed the strategy adopted for anti-polio campaigns in border areas.

The meeting was informed that over 14,000 people cross the Pak-Afghan border checkpoint in Chaman daily, with an average of 900 children below the age of five years.

“The average number of children covered daily by the available teams is around 600, which means we miss almost 300 children below the age of five years daily,” health officials informed the meeting.

Afghan officials attending the meeting vowed to improve the coordination and increase the number of teams to ensure that every child in border areas is vaccinated during the anti-polio drive.

It was noted that southern Afghanistan and Balochistan are the main areas from where several polio cases have been reported in recent years.

The officials also held a separate meeting with senior officials of the Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan, to seek their help in the anti-polio drive.

EOC Coordinator Dr Syed Saifur Rehman said that the meeting was very successful and fruitful and officials of the two sides showed their complete commitment to eradicate the crippling disease from the area. The meeting decided that all teams at the Friendship Gate in Chaman will be supervised by FC personnel and the FC would cooperate with health teams of the two countries. The FC personnel will be given proper training for vaccinating the children in border areas.

Pakistani and Afghan officials will use fatwas of internationally-recognised religious scholars on polio to convince those people who still do not allow their children to be vaccinated against the crippling disease.

“The fatwas on polio vaccines compiled by Pakistani officials were appreciated by Afghan counterparts,” Dr Saif said.

Quetta Commissioner Kambar Dashti, Qila Abdullah’s Deputy Commissioner Khuda-i-Dad, Dr Aftab Kakar, Afghan officials Dr Mohammed Essa and Dr Sadaat and officials of the Unicef and WHO teams also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2015

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