LAHORE: The country coordinator for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Waqar Ajmal, has said if polio is not eradicated from the country soon, its impact on foreign investment and economic activities will be extremely negative and problems of overseas Pakistanis will increase.

Dr Waqar called on Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik at his office on Friday. Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation Provincial Coordinator Dr Aslam Chaudhry and EPI Health Director Dr Munir Ahmed were also present in the meeting besides Adviser to the Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique.

Dr Waqar stressed upon close coordination among all provinces for eradication of polio, saying the world was focusing on Pakistan with regards to this menace. He expressed concerns over Pakistan’s failure to achieve polio eradication targets, saying African countries had almost got rid of it.

He also informed the meeting that both Bill and Melinda Gates were taking personal interest for the development of health sector in Pakistan especially for the eradication of polio and measles.

He maintained that being the largest welfare foundation in the world, the foundation would continue its cooperation with the Punjab government in eradication of polio and measles from the country.

On this occasion, Jawad Rafique apprised the meeting of the steps taken by the provincial government for polio eradication, including micro planning, training of polio teams and monitoring mechanism.

The meeting was briefed that the health department was preparing standard operating procedures to challenge polio on the pattern of dengue.

All relevant agencies and departments would be taken on board for this purpose. A special campaign would also be launched from this month in low transmission season of polio, the meeting was told.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2014