While polio has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said he wanted to ensure that no child is crippled in the country.
He was chairing a high-level meeting on the Polio Task Force in Islamabad according to an official statement. Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister of State for National Health Services, who briefed the meeting said in 1994 there were 2,600 reported cases of polio in Pakistan while the figure for 2013 stands at 28, showing a sharp decline in polio cases in the country. She said the Task Force must meet on a quarterly basis to review progress.
Ala Alwan, Regional Director, World Health Organisation appreciated the decline in polio cases in Pakistan and said coordinated efforts must continue till the complete eradication of polio from the country.
Mr. Sharif said the success of the National Emergency Action Plan, developed in consultation with all stake holders, depends on its proper implementation. He added that the civil-military coordination mechanism will help a great deal in eradicating polio from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
