ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has welcomed Iran’s offer of providing free polio vaccines to support the country’s fight against the crippling disease, reported sources.
On June 15, Iranian health and medical education officials offered free polio vaccines to Pakistan in a meeting with the federal health services minister. The delegation is on a three-day visit to Pakistan to explore options of extending cooperation to Pakistan.
A senior official while talking to a private media outlet at the National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) Ministry said if the plan materialised, it would be a major support for the country, which is among the only three countries worldwide with a polio epidemic. This year 25 children have been crippled by the virus so far.
Every year Pakistan requires 40 to 50 million doses of polio vaccines. The country can get a major relief if Iran contributes the expected 4 to 5 million vaccine doses.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are considered one epidemiological block in terms of polio because of genetic relationships and epidemiological links between the wild type poliovirus isolates in the two countries. Tehran wants to support both countries to put an end to this crippling disease, officials said.
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