Once again commending the polio workers, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said polio worker Irfanullah, whose picture in which he was seen battling knee-deep snow in Swat while on duty went viral, and thousands of other polio workers are heroes who reach out to children with polio vaccines in extreme weather conditions.
On Wednesday, the premier met with Irfanullah and other polio workers and appreciated their sacrifices.
The PM had paid a tribute to polio workers who performed their duty of vaccinating children against the life-ruining disease even in harsh weather conditions.
Focal person to PM Khan on Polio Eradication Babar Bin Atta and Health Minister Amir Kiyani were also present in the meeting that held at the PM House. A strategy to eliminate the debilitating disease was discussed in the meeting.
Taking to Twitter, the PM said: “Irfan is one of 260,000 heroes who reach out to children with polio vaccines in extreme weather conditions. His viral video has left every individual with a sense of awe and pride.”
Irfan is one of 260,000 heroes who reach out to children with polio vaccines in extreme weather conditions. His viral video has left every individual with a sense of awe & pride. This dedication is what will enable us to achieve our goal of a polio free nation #SalamPolioWorker pic.twitter.com/4wPBxIDUDz
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 31, 2019
“This dedication is what will enable us [Pakistan] to achieve our goal of a polio-free nation #SalamPolioWorker,” Prime Minister Khan continued in his tweet.
Tweeting Irfan’s picture, UNICEF Pakistan had appreciated the perils that were bravely faced by polio workers.
Pakistan’s polio workers travel long distances to make sure that every child is protected from polio, no matter where they live in Pakistan.#Pakvspolio #ForEveryChild #RightToHealth #PakFightsPolio Photo via @pakfightspolio #VaccinesWork #PolioWorkers pic.twitter.com/BSINGV92IL
— UNICEF Pakistan (@UNICEF_Pakistan) January 27, 2019
The polio eradication campaign in Pakistan has faced many challenges, from the refusal of parents to administer the drops to attacks on polio teams by militants.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a crippling childhood disease caused by the poliovirus and preventable through immunisation. Affecting mostly children under the age of five, polio — which has no cure and can only be prevented by giving a child multiple vaccine doses — can lead to irreversible paralysis.
Countrywide polio eradication drive was launched on January 21. More than 39 million children under the age of five will receive two drops of the vaccine which will protect them against the polio virus. At least 260,000 polio workers and more than 31,000 teams are participating in the drive.
The number of cases in Pakistan declined from 306 in 2014 to 54 in 2015, 20 in 2016 and eight in 2017. In 2018, 12 cases were reported.
A country must have no cases for three consecutive years in order to be considered to have eradicated polio by the World Health Organisation.
