ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Tuesday said efforts to defeat polio have been intensified.
The health adviser was chairing a high-level meeting on Tuesay at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for Polio in Islamabad.
He emphasised on the importance of developing sustainable Polio Plus activities that have the capacity to improve both basic health service delivery and address demand-based refusals to the polio vaccine.
To ensure optimal implementation of Polio Plus activities across Pakistan, Dr Mirza asked the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme to create a Polio Plus Task Force comprising key polio eradication partners, provincial representatives and all relevant development agencies and organisations.
He stressed the need for a robust partnership between the Pakistan Polio Eradication Partnership and the Ehsaas programme in order to advance public health and social protection agenda in Pakistan.
During the meeting, the national and provincial coordinators of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme briefed the SAPM on proposed plans for the upcoming low transmission season, including the polio eradication campaign that is scheduled to begin on 4th November.
Dr Mirza, while expressing concern over the recent spike in polio cases, directed officials to continue effective awareness and polio immunization campaigns in order to stop polio virus transmissioin the coming months.
It may be noted that the Prime Minister’s focal person on polio Babar Atta resigned last week as around 72 cases of the disease has been recorded so far this year.
In a resignation letter addressed to the prime minister, Atta said that he believed he had completed the mission that was handed to him.
Atta said he has requested the prime minister to relieve him of his duties due to some personal reasons. He said he was submitting his resignation as he had not been able to give time to his father’s well-being.
Babar Bin Atta said, “After a stint of over a year as the Prime Ministers Focal Person for Polio, I have asked the PM to relieve me of my duties because of some personal reasons pertaining to my family. During this time I got a chance to work with the best minds in the world.”
He stated that Pakistan is in a position that will finally eradicate polio once and for all, and the opportunity should be capitalised and should not be lost from here.
