ISLAMABAD: Progress made by Pakistan against polio has been recognised at a meeting of the World Health Organisation’s Regional Subcommittee on Polio Eradication and Outbreaks as members reiterated that this was the time to amplify efforts to achieve eradication.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan assured the members that the programme in Pakistan was making all-out efforts in the pursuit of zero polio transmission.

“Pakistan is further intensifying operations in high-risk districts and core reservoirs, closely monitoring the transmission across the border in coordination with Afg­hanistan and taking timely measures to respond to the outbreak in case of any further detection of poliovirus,” he said, adding that the government remained committed to eradicating the poliovirus as soon as possible.

The fourth meeting of the Regional Subcommittee on Polio Eradication and Out­breaks was convened by WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterra­nean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari.

Dr Al-Mandhari said: “Wild poliovirus transmission is at a historic low in the endemic countries of Afgha­nistan and Pakistan. The progress is remarkable, but it is fragile. The opportunity to end polio is knocking at our door, and we must seize it.”

The committee issued sta­tements on wild poliovirus circulation in Afgha­ni­stan and Pakistan and on the circulation of vaccine-deri­v­­ed poliovirus strains in Yemen.

Talking to Dawn, National Coordinator of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program­­me Dr Shahzad Baig said there were a number of factors behind the success story. He said there could be differences among political part­i­­es, but polio was considered be­­­yond politics due to which decision-making become easy and precise.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2022