Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated commitment of its government to protect the children of Pakistan from polio and eventually eradicating the disease from the country.
He further said that Government of Pakistan had declared polio eradication a health emergency. The prime minister stated this while talking to the executive committee of National Task Force on Polio Eradication, who called on him at the PM House.
The prime minister said it was a matter of grave concern that there was a possibility of travel restrictions being imposed on Pakistanis since the virus from Pakistan has been found linked to polio cases in other countries.
“Since it is a question of the prestige, image and honour of our country, we must redouble our efforts to eradicate Polio from our country,” the PM added.
The prime minister stressed the need to strictly implement the Polio Eradication Action Plan with zero tolerance for inefficiency, negligence and under-performance in the anti-polio campaigns.
He expressed his deep concern over the incidence of polio cases in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He expressed his resolve to take every measure possible to ensure that every child is reached with polio vaccine. It is the responsibility of the government to protect the health and well being of every child in the country and “we cannot be found wanting or be deterred on any account in performance of this noble task,” he added.
About the situation in FATA, the PM said, “I am aware that a special civil-military co-ordination mechanism is in place. However, we need to ensure that challenges in North and South Waziristan, where a ban is clamped on polio campaigns by certain groups, are met with locally appropriate solutions and in accordance with local traditions and norms”.
We need to find solutions in cooperation with the security forces, the tribal elders and local influentials to allow vaccination in the interest of their own children, he further stated.
PM Sharif expressed his sadness at the incidents of violence including attacks on polio workers and police officials protecting them. The government cannot allow anyone to target those working to protect the health of children, he concluded.
Nawaz Sharif showed his pleasure to the fact that religious leaders were now fully engaged with over 730 religious scholars from all schools of thought pledging support to the initiative.
Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister of State for National Health Dr Altaf Bosan, PM’s Polio Monitoring and Coordination Cell chief Ayesha Reza Farooq, PM’s focal person on polio eradication and other members of the executive committee of the task force were present.