LAHORE: Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid has expressed optimism that the goal to make Pakistan a polio-free country is not far away.

“No case of polio has been reported since 2017 in Punjab and we will achieve the target of making the province polio-free till 2019,” said the minister while presiding over a meeting of the provincial task force on polio eradication here on Wednesday.

Expressing satisfaction over the outcome of polio eradication drives during the recent years, the minister said all respective officials would have to work with a missionary zeal to remove Pakistan from the list of polio-affected countries.

“Frequent anti-polio vaccination drives are also necessary in sensitive districts like Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Muzzafargarh. With the advent of winter, gypsies and other people move from one area to another. Children of such families should be our primary focus,” said the minister.

Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokher stressed that all deputy commissioners should keep a close liaison with the health department in their respective districts. NGOs and volunteers should also be mobilised for polio awareness campaigns, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018