ISLAMABAD- Having achieved the lowest ever case count of eight in 2017,Pakistan is on right trajectory to finish the job in 2018 by maintainingintense pressure of the crippling polio virus.
This was concluded by the National Polio Management Team (NPMT) that methere on Tuesday to review the progress on National Emergency Action Plan(NEAP) and chalk out strategic direction for the low transmission season2018-19. Besides Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister’s Focal Personfor Polio Eradication, the meeting was attended by the National CoordinatorDr Rana Muhammad Safdar, Provincial Coordinators along with respectiveleads of partner organization as well as the National and Provincial EPIDirectors.
The Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Senator AyeshaRaza Farooq, thanked entire Polio Eradication team for the sustained hardwork and commitment. “Your involvement with your teams has been critical inachieving our success, to date – your strong leadership and drive forresults is clearly showing us how collective efforts do make a differencefor all the children of Pakistan.”
While an overall 97% decline in number of cases from highs of 306 in 2014to only eight in 2017 is encouraging, we are striving for a magical numberZero, stated Dr Rana Safdar, National Coordinator for Polio eradication.
“The immunity wall generated by the programme, is not letting the virus toparalyze our children as evident from the fact that no polio case has sofar been reported in 2018. Nevertheless, despite decreased intensity oftransmission, the virus is continues to be challenging by appearing inenvironmental samples from core reservoirs of Karachi, Quetta Block andPeshawar. Intense transmission across the shared corridors with Afghanistanfurther leaves no space for us to relax till the job is fully done”, Safdarstated.
The NPMT further had thorough deliberations on ways to mitigate thepotential risks area by area. The team observed that with interruption isin sight, the programme needs support from all segments of the society toconvey the right messages to communities that still fall prey to negativepropaganda against vaccination – sadly five out of eight children paralyzedby poliovirus in 2017 came from families refusing vaccination due tomisconceptions.
It was shared that polio vaccine remains the safest human vaccine availableand over 10 billion doses administered across the globe have not resultedin even a single case of adverse reaction anywhere in the world.
Pakistan’s progress towards polio eradication is acknowledged by nationaland international bodies. The commitment of the federal and provincialgovernments has been the key towards polio turn around in the country.
One team approach under the network of dynamic Emergency Operations Centres(EOCs) established at national and provincial levels, data drivenscientific management, and real-time risk assessment and response is takingthe country closer to the finish line.
Senator Ayesha also appreciated the commitment of Pakistan’s parents andcommunities and urged them to ensure vaccination of all under five childrenevery time it’s offered.
“There are no magic solutions to ending transmission of the poliovirus,just hard work to make sure we are helping parents protect their childrenfrom polio by focusing on the basics to ensure success by our front lineworkers on the doorstep and inside the homes of more than 38 millionchildren, “Senator Farooq underlined. (APP)