ISLAMABAD: As trucks can be seen on roads and terrains, the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has decided to use them to create public awareness about polio.

In 2022, as many as 20 children were paralysed by the virus in the country – all belonging to the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Of these cases, 17 were reported from North Waziristan, two from Lakki Marwat and one from South Waziristan. Before these, not a single case was reported in Pakistan for almost 15 months.

An NHS ministry spokesperson, Sajid Shah, said Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel had directed that trucks should be used throughout the country, especially in KP and those going to Afghanistan, to create awareness about the poliovirus.

“Pakistan’s truck art is famous across the globe and we are planning to use it to make the country polio free. All provincial languages will be used for the purpose,” he said.

He said Mr Patel had directed that all available resources be used to eradicate the poliovirus.

The minister has also urged parents to ensure that their children would get vaccine during every campaign so that they would live a healthy life and do not become a reason for the spread of the virus.

Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries to become polio-free except the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2023