KARACHI, March 5: The Sindh caretaker chief minister and local and foreign health experts have called for intensifying the coordinated efforts and commitments for complete eradication of polio virus from the country, particularly from Sindh.

They expressed these views at a programme organised by the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Sindh, on Wednesday to inaugurate sub-national immunisation campaign and award its officials and other concerned to rejuvenate and further intensify its polio eradication efforts.

It may be mentioned here that 32 polio virus cases were reported in the country last year out of which 12 were found in Sindh. This year two cases have been detected so far in the province.

The target of a polio-free country could be achieved by the end of this year only with vigorous implementation of measures, enhanced surveillance and by creating more demand for administration of oral polio drops in children less than five years, observed Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Abdul Qadir Halepota while speaking as the chief guest at the ceremony.

He appreciated the gradual decline in polio record and laid emphasis on winning the confidence of parents and community by removing the misconceptions associated with the vaccine. He asked the campaigners and vaccination staff to work at grassroots level and ensure that no child at any house was left without polio drops. Efforts should also be made to increase awareness among the masses about the adversities of polio and the prevention measures, otherwise the disease would continue haunting the nation and adding up to the loads in the health sector, Mr Halepota added.

Later, the chief minister gave away shields and certificates of appreciation to district nazims, EDOs Health and town health officers from across the province in recognition to their performance in eliminating the polio virus from their respective jurisdiction.

Sindh Health Minister Fauzia Laari said that last flood in Kambar district had upset the polio eradications teams as it caused an increase in the polio cases of the province. She said that district and town nazims and EDOs should make some extra commitment and help maintain the high quality campaigns against polio in the province.

Dr H.B. Memon, the newly-appointed national programme manager of the EPI, said that in a situation when Pakistan was included among five polio endemic countries, there was a need to make the fight against the dreaded disease a national mission. Despite the fact that about 41,000 teams of vaccinators worked across the country, virus was harbouring in the country, which was surely a matter of grave concern, he said.

Dr Ibrahim Eiziq of Unicef Pakistan said that the country was in its final stage of giving a complete push out to polio virus and become a polio-free country and as such there was a dire need of commitment toward a purposeful fielding of staffers so that the children left without polio drops could be detected and administered drops.

Dr Nima Abid, the WHO’s group head on polio in Pakistan, and Sindh Special Secretary (Public Health) Dr Abdul Majid also spoke.