KARACHI, June 29: Pakistan, making its efforts to attain the goal of zero prevalence of polio by the end of the current year, has reported no less than 17 confirmed cases of the disease during the first six months of the year 2004.

WHO Operations Officer for Sindh talking to APP on Tuesday said seven confirmed cases of Polio had been reported from Sindh and another seven from NWFP, while three were reported from Punjab.

Dr Asif Aslam of UNICEF-Sindh, giving an outbreak of the cases, reported that one each of these cases in Sindh pertained to Karachi, Nawabshah and Sanghar, while two each were from Ghotki and Jacobabad.

It would not be out of context to mention that a national polio surveillance review meeting held only recently, registered its serious reservations regarding coverage as well as quality of vaccination campaigns in certain parts of the country - including Karachi - during national immunisation and sub national immunisations days being held at regular intervals.

Dr Aslam regretted that "Routine EPI Programme" appeared to have taken a back seat in the country owing to the inability of locals to build a system under which all parents and health care professionals could ensure necessary vaccination of kids offered under EPI.

Meanwhile, other senior health care professionals when approached by APP, regretted that while countries like Bangladesh and Iran had managed to get rid of the crippling disease following only a few rounds of OPV campaigns, Pakistan despite undergoing almost 40 rounds was yet to fully protect its children.

The doctors agreed that routine EPI programme had to be strengthened in the country on efficient grounds with maximum involvement of parents, who must be convinced regarding the importance and efficacy of vaccines and administration of their offspring within stipulated time period.

It was stressed that the public must develop a pressure group demanding availability of vaccination to their children without any failure and protecting them against diseases - most of which are fatal. -APP