ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan has said that a comprehensive strategy was currently being deployed in south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to curb wild poliovirus transmission.

While poliovirus was mostly limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the caretaker minister held a meeting in Islamabad to discuss pressing concerns on endemic wild poliovirus transmission in south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur were also present in the meeting.

Dr Jan said: “For these high-risk areas, a coordinated and targeted approach has been urgently formulated, with top experts stationed in Bannu to achieve the target of wild poliovirus interruption by December 2023.”

It is worth mentioning here that seven districts of southern KP - Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, North Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan and Lakki Marwat - are vulnerable to poliovirus.

Two children belonging to Bannu have been paralysed by the virus in Pakistan this year.

According to a statement, the province has been gearing up to launch three effective polio campaigns.

“Frontline workers are the true champions of our programme,” the minister said during the meeting. Appreciating the workers for working even under challenging conditions, he said: “Their unwavering commitment to safeguarding children from the polio disease does not go unnoticed.”

Reiterating the government’s resolve, Dr Jan added: “We remain steadfast in our mission to eradicate polio. This commitment extends across borders, with an integrated strategy developed in collaboration with Afghanistan to control the cross-border spread of the virus.”

Acknowledging the potential risks, the chief secretary said: “Protecting the lives of our polio workers is paramount. Strict security measures will be undertaken during these campaigns.”

He further said foolproof security arrangements across the province.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2023