Health authorities have been asked to ensure 100 percent coverage of polio immunization rounds in areas of Khyber-Paktunkhwa (KPK) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to protect every child from the crippling disease.
The health authorities have been asked to take notice of the missing children from receiving anti-polio drops in these areas during the vaccination drives and were urged to improve the monitoring system in this regard.
Citizens of these areas vowed to make concentrating efforts on the high risk areas for polio eradication, ensuring that all children in these areas received vaccination during every immunization round.
Defining polio as a national emergency, they said that the concerned problems must be urgently addressed to ensure that all arms of the government were engaged in eradicating polio particularly in FATA and Khyber-Paktunkhwa.
While commenting on polio situation in FATA and Khyber-Paktunkhwa, the authorities said that it was high time that children were consistently immunized in the districts, agencies and other populations that were at a highest risk due to the polio virus.
Aslam Khan, a student belonging to FATA area said that the polio virus was continuing to cripple children in the country due to problems in accessing the high security areas particularly in FATA.
He urged the development of strategies and approaches to access children in security compromised areas through close cooperation between officials concerned and through the engagement of communities.
While talking to news agencies, a student, Zaheer Khan of KPK said that the goal could be reached through achieving the objectives including ownership and accountability for the polio program performance at each administrative level.
He said with strong ownership at all levels and the engagement of communities, all children could be reached and thousands would be saved from being permanently crippled by polio.
He said due to its close border areas with Afghanistan, focus should be on enhancing inter-sector collaboration in KPK for strengthening the fight against polio for its complete elimination.
When contacted an official of national polio immunization program, said that an elaborated plan is being implemented aimed at ensuring immunization in 33 high risk districts of the country.
He said in light of the situation and its national and global implications, the President and the Prime Minister have issued special directions for complete eradication of polio in the country.
He added under the plan, efforts are being made to stop transmission of polio and in this regard several committees have been formed at different levels to ensure immunization in high risk areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and FATA with the support of community leaders.
Time to end polio is now
