ISLAMABAD, Sept 13: Federal Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan has said Pakistan cannot afford any slackness in expediting anti-polio drive in high-risk areas. He was speaking at the opening session of the technical advisory group meeting here on Monday.
"The eradication of polio is our commitment, not only to the children of this country but also to the children of the world," he said. The minister said Pakistan had shown considerable progress as was evident from the drop in the number of cases and restriction of virus transmission.
Our areas of concern, however, remains D.G. Khan in the Punjab, northern Sindh especially Jacobabad and southern NWFP especially the North Waziristan Agency, he said. Balochistan is free of polio and has not reported a case since October 2003, he added.
Mr Khan said: "This gives us a great sense of satisfaction and I on behalf of the federal government commend the good work that has been done there. "We are paying special attention to the high-risk areas but we must not lower our guards in other areas."
It must be ensured that all forthcoming campaigns are of the highest quality with no eligible child missed, he said. The minister emphasized that at this juncture we could not afford to miss even a single child.
It is a matter of satisfaction that issues like involvement and advocacy with religious leaders are being given special attention, he said. Mr Khan urged all stakeholders to pay more attention to this area since there was a need of enhanced support from them with special reference to the NWFP and Balochistan.
Support of the media is vital as we fight the final battle to save children from the crippling disease of polio, he said. The electronic and print media in Pakistan are vibrant and independent and can act as crucial agents for change, he said.
"We need their continued and allout support in the interest of the children of this country," he said. The minister said both the government and media had a collective responsibility towards the children of Pakistan.
"We need to work to promote the cause and remove the misconceptions among the public if any," he said. "Let me from this platform reiterate the government's unflinching commitment to the initiative and to state in clear terms that the polio vaccine administered to our children is of the highest quality, in line with WHO international quality standards," Mr Khan added.
He said the drop in polio cases over the years was a clear manifestation of the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine. The high level of political commitment that the initiative has today is unprecedented, he added.
He also acknowledged the tremendous support by WHO, Jica, Unicef and Rotary International for the eradication of polio. Federal health secretary Tariq Farooq also spoke on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Farooq said the federal government on its part remains committed to saving children from the scourge of polio and would be providing all out support both material and technical to the stakeholders in this regard.
Addressing the technical advisory group meeting on Polio Eradication Mr Farooq said there was a need to redouble efforts and pay special attention to the high risk districts.