HYDERABAD, Jan 22: The medical officer, polio eradication, WHO, eastern mediterranean region, Dr Hamid Raza Jafri, arrived here on a three-day tour to monitor the sub-national immunization campaign against polio.

Talking to Dawn, he said that 60 per cent decrease in polio cases had been witnessed during 2000-2001 and hoped further improvement during the current year to eradicate polio from the region.

He said that Pakistan was among the ten countries of the world where polio had not been eliminated completely as yet.

He stressed the need for a quality campaign against this dangerous disease.

He said that in November 2001 a meeting of the technical advisory group of the EMRO, the political commitment in Sindh was acknowledged. With this commitment it could be hopefully said that polio would be eradicated from Sindh during the current year.

He disclosed that in Hyderabad district, 50 per cent cases of polio were reported in the scheduled caste which needed more attention.

Meanwhile, the district Nazim, Hyderabad, Dr Makhdoom Rafiquz Zaman, here on Tuesday, inaugurated the polio campaign by administering polio drops to children at the Lady Duffrin Hospital, Hyderabad.

He urged the parents/notables and the general public to join hands with the administration to make the anti-polio campaign a success by bringing their children of up to five years of age for administering the drops.

He hoped that with the cooperation of public, polio disease would be eradicated from society.

TRIBUTE: To pay tribute to the world known Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the Darbar Hall, situated in sessions court building, Hyderabad, had been renamed as Latif Hall.

This was announced by the district Nazim, Hyderabad, Dr Makhdoom Rafiquz Zaman, while presiding over a meeting at the Darbar Hall here on Tuesday.

Earlier, the district Nazim visited District Bar, Hyderabad, and Bar Library. He assured the lawyers that efforts would be made for provision of books to the library. He also met with the district and session judge and discussed matters of mutual interest.

Later, while presiding over a meeting of the revenue officers at the Latif Hall, he said the problems faced by the new government system would be solved gradually and asked the senior officers of the district government to use their experience for removal of the problems and smooth working of the government so that relief could be provided to common man.

The district Nazim directed the revenue officers to accelerate the work of recovery to achieve the targets of revenue.

He also directed the Mukhtiarkars to make recovery of the land revenue and water charges up to Jan 31, 2002, and submit a report. He stressed upon the Khatedars to make payment of the legal outstanding in the offices of Mukhtiarkars up to Jan 31, 2002.