ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel on Wednesday urged international donors to contribute more funds to the cause of polio eradication in Pakistan.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) gave a briefing to Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) at a summit, held at a hotel in Islamabad.

The summit was attended by GPEI partners, representatives of donor countries and agencies, who were briefed on the current state of polio eradication efforts.

The summit came a week after the Technical Advisory Group for Polio Eradication met in Qatar to assess the current epidemiology and strategies to tackle the disease in the coming months.

At the summit, Mr Patel said the children of Pakistan needed more support at a time when the end of polio seemed possible.

Terming polio a ‘public health emergency’, he said the eradication of this deadly disease is a priority at all levels of government, and the country aims to get rid of it by the end of this year.

“In this crucial time, the continued support of our donors and partners is critical to sustain our efforts and momentum,” the minister added.

All cases reported from Pakistan since 2022, including the only one reported this year in March, have been from the endemic southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, while most of the country has remained polio-free for over two years.

Dr Shahzad Baig, coordinator of the National EOC said, “This is huge progress; we are optimistic, but every child matters. One child paralysed by polio is still too many. We are working day in and day out to vaccinate children in the areas that remain challenging. We need both your support and patience.”

Speaking to country representatives, Global Director for Polio Eradication at WHO, Aiden O’Leary, said the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) marked 35 years of eradication efforts in May.

Representatives from donor countries reaffirmed their commitment and said it was because of years of support to global polio eradication efforts that 99 per cent of the world is now polio-free. More efforts need to be made for Pakistan and Afghanistan to make the final push and eliminate the disease from the world.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2023