ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: President Asif Ali Zardari directed the health authorities on Friday to reach inaccessible parts of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) so that children living there could be administered polio vaccine.

Taking notice of the polio eradication teams’ unsatisfactory performance in certain parts of Fata, the president during a meeting called for involvement of all segments of society, including religious leaders, media, NGOs and civil society, to help stamp out the crippling disease from the country.

Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar quoted the president as saying: “All state functionaries should support polio staff in covering the inaccessible areas.”

The president especially emphasised on the involvement of ulema and tribal elders for the success of anti-polio drive in Fata.

The meeting stressed the need for dedicated staff at the union council level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas to carry out the job as had happened in other parts of the country. He was quoted as saying: “Involvement of local community, especially women, is crucial for convincing parents about benefits of polio vaccines and neutralising negative propaganda and misperceptions.”

According to media reports, several areas of KP and Fata are vulnerable to polio because the staff has been unable to reach there owing to security concerns.

Pakistan’s Goodwill Ambassador for Polio Eradication Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and KP Governor Barrister Masood Kausar were present at the meeting.

Prime Minister’s special assistant and focal person on polio eradication Shahnaz Wazir Ali briefed the meeting about the efforts being undertaken by the government to eradicate the crippling disease.

KP Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastghir Akhtar and Fata Additional Chief Secretary Dr Tashfeen Ahmad gave an overview of the latest situation in different areas of Fata.

The meeting was informed that as of Friday, 13 cases were reported in Fata and frontier regions, eight in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three each in Sindh and Balochistan and two in Punjab.

It was informed that for the corresponding period last year the number of cases reported in Fata was 23, KP six, Sindh 14, Balochistan 29 and one in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Dr Tashfeen said that Kurram and Orakzai agencies in Fata and Frontier Region Bannu were cleared whereas South and North Waziristan were still inaccessible because of misconceptions about polio vaccines propagated by militants.

The president appreciated the assistance being provided by the world community for anti-polio programme and called upon representatives of international bodies present at the meeting to use their experience of working in various conflict zones globally for the success of campaigns in inaccessible areas of Pakistan.