PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker chief minister Mohammad Azam Khan has said that the provincial government is committed to make the province polio-free through concrete measures and well-planned strategy.

He said special drive has been launched to administer anti-polio drops to the children who are still out of coverage in the southern districts of the province, a press release said.

Talking to a delegation of Polio Oversight Board (POB) on Tuesday, he said eradication of polio was indispensable to give a healthy and safe future to the upcoming generations.

The delegation led by POB Chairman Dr Christopher Elias included WHO’s Dr Ahmed Al-Mandarin, Unicef’s Noala Skinner, Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Leslie Scanlon and others, it said.

The participants made a threadbare discussion on various matters related to anti-polio campaigns with special focus on the strategy to eradicate poliovirus from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially southern districts of the province. The stakeholders on the occasion reiterated their commitment to continue the joint struggle till eradication of poliovirus from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They also agreed that specific measures should be taken in specific spots of the southern districts to get rid of this menace.

Stressing the need for awareness with regard to poliovirus, the chief minister said his government was instrumental in creating awareness among the people about damages caused by polio. Azam Khan stated that parents needed to be convinced to administer anti-polio drops to their children as lack of seriousness of parents in this matter can cause irreparable damage to their children.

The chief minister said opinion leaders and ulema can also play a vital role in convincing parents to administer anti-polio drops to their children.

The members of the Polio Oversight Board appreciated the dedication and determination of the provincial government and the efforts of the provincial anti-polio team and said the board will provide all-out support for eradication of poliovirus from the province.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2023