PESHAWAR, Jan 24: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has embarked on a campaign to enlist the politicians' support and cooperation at union council levels in the province for polio eradication under the Augmented National Emergency Action Plan-2012.

The new plan was put in place late last year after the previous anti-polio strategy's utter failure to contain the crippling disease. In all, the country saw 197 polio cases last year. Of them, 23 were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The plan approved by the prime minister in a meeting of polio eradication task force gives a wider immunisation role to the people's elected representatives to show the international community the government's strong political will to contain the incapacitating virus in line with the World Health Organisation's Polio Eradication Initiative targets.

According to health officials, the last year's national plan for polio eradication focused on strengthening administrative aspect of immunisation campaigns by tasking district coordination officers and commissioners with spearheading and monitoring them in their respective areas.

However, the plan didn't work prompting the polio eradication task force to engage politicians in union councils to scale up public awareness of oral polio vaccine for protection of children against the crippling disease.

Under the Augmented National Emergency Action Plan-2012, lawmakers will inaugurate vaccination campaigns in their respective constituencies to create demand for polio vaccine.

Previously, there was one political member in every polio eradication committee at union council level. However, the new plan increased the number to two, one a man and other a woman, to increase public awareness of immunisation. Chairpersons of the district development advisory committee will be ex-officio member of polio eradication committee at district level.

A health official said Pakistan raced against time as there would be funds available after December 2012.

"We have to show political commitment (towards polio eradication)," he said.

The official said two elected leaders at union council levels would be part of polio eradication committees. He said officials had begun meeting politicians at all union councils to enlist their support for vaccination campaigns.

Meanwhile, WHO team leader for Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr Ubaidul Islam on Tuesday briefed the provincial assembly standing committee on health on polio incidence.

He said WHO procured OPV from internationally-recognised manufacturers in line with international standards and therefore, it was safe.

"A monitor on the polio vial indicates the expiry of the vaccine," he said when some participants asked how vaccinators maintain cold chain.

Focal person of the chief minister secretariat on polio Dr Imtiaz Ali Shah and deputy director of expanded programme of immunisation Dr Jan Baz Afridi also spoke on the occasion.

The committee decided to discuss polio issues in its every meeting and asked the health department to name a focal person for the purpose.