RAWALPINDI: District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Muhammad Sohail said on Tuesday that observance of World Polio Day is not only aimed to renew our pledge to work with more dedication, but also to pay tribute to those polio workers who have been an active part of the campaign to eradicate the disease from the country.
He expressed these views while addressing a seminar in connection with World Polio Day, organised at Zilla Council Hall Rawalpindi by District Health Authority and World Health Organisation (WHO). District Education Authority Qazi Zahoorul Haq, District Health Officer Dr Abdul Jabbar, Social Welfare Director Muhammad Aslam Maitla, WHO Coordinator Dr Sarwat, Dr Uzma Hayat and representatives of allied departments also attended the seminar.
While sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Dr Sohail said that although there were only five cases of polio in Pakistan, it was still among the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, that were not declared polio free yet. He said that though progress had been made to eradicate polio from the country, a lot of ground still needed to be covered to make the country a polio free zone.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdul Jabbar said that due to the coordinated efforts of all government departments, not even a single case of polio had been reported in Rawalpindi since the last 7 years.
He said that anti-polio campaigns have been launched in the district frequently under strict monitoring, while adding that awareness campaigns were also being launched to address the reservations of people and myths attached to the crippling disease.
Zahoorul Haq, while sharing his views on the topic, said that it was not just the role of one organisation or institution to undertake the task of polio eradication, adding that it was the responsibility of every citizen to play an active role in the war against polio.
Moreover, Aslam Maitla said that the provision of healthy environment to people was among the main priorities of the health department, however, coordinated efforts of both government departments and the general public were needed to make the region polio free.