PESHAWAR, April 14: NWFP ministers have urged the people to administer anti-polio drops to the children up to five years of age in order to save them from falling prey to the crippling disease.
Speaking at a news conference here on Monday at the Peshawar Press Club, provincial health minister Inayatullah Khan and information minister Asif Iqbal, sought the help of mediamen to create the much-needed awareness about anti-polio campaign starting from April 15. According to them, polio had almost been eradicated from the surface of the globe, but still it haunted the infants in seven countries that included Pakistan.
“The number of polio cases has declined to only 35 in the current year compared to 419 cases reported last year in the NWFP, but still we have to make sure that every child gets the anti-polio drops at least 10 times until he/she attains five years of age,” health minister said.
According to him, the government was committed to administer anti-polio drops to 5.42 million children in the province and Fata by involving the religious as well as community leaders to mobilise the people.
Mr Khan said that four rounds on the National Immunisation Days were conducted every year, with each costing Rs10 million donated by WHO and Unicef.
Pakistan, he said was supposed to eradicate polio by 2000, but that didn’t happen, owing to lack of awareness among the people.
Flanked by WHO and Unicef’s representatives, Dr Mulugete Abraham and Abu Osama, Mr Khan said four rounds were conducted each year in addition to special rounds in the high-risk areas, with a view to eradicate the disease which crippled children for the rest of their lives.
“It was a matter of concern that 35 fresh cases of polio were reported — 15 from D. I. Khan, followed by Bajaur, Hangu, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Charsadda and Mardan,” the minister said, adding that 14,232 mobile teams, 1,536 teams at health facilities, 242 teams at bus stops and 388 zonal supervisors would be involved in the campaign and would carry out door-to-door visits.
On the occasion, Deputy Director, Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Abdul Waheed said polio was a viral infection, ranging from mild infection to a paralytic disease that can result even in death.
Polio-virus infected only human- beings and the only way was to administer anti-polio drops to the children to save them from being infected.