Pakistan’s Ambassador for Polio Eradication Aseefa Zardari inaugurated the anti-polio drive at Ibrahim Ali Bhai School in Gizri here on Tuesday. She administered polio drops to children under five years and also distributed gifts among them.
Adviser to the Prime Minister Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Member National Assembly Nafisa Shah, and Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shahla Raza were also present on the occasion. In addition, Karachi Commissioner Hashim Raza Zaidi, Secretary Health Aftab Ahmed Khatri, EPI project director, deputy commissioners of South, Central, and West were also in attendance on the occasion.
Shahnaz informed that the target for the current anti-polio drive was to administer polio drops to 34 million children under the age of five years.
She stressed that for the eradication of polio it was essential that the parents extended their full cooperation towards this campaign.
Shahnaz recalled that late Benazir Bhutto had initiated the drive against polio in the country by administering polio drops to her daughter, Aseefa.
Later, Aseefa called on Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the CM House.
Aseefa discussed matters related to the campaign and efforts being carried out with regard to the eradication of polio from the province of Sindh. CM Qaim apprised her about certain issues regarding the polio campaign, while assuring the polio ambassador for Pakistan that the Sindh government and all its institutions would fully cooperate to make the ongoing campaign truly successful. Various measures taken by the provincial government in this regard were also discussed in detail. After hearing the proposals of the CM, Aseefa said that the campaign in Union Council (UC) No.1, 2, 3 of Baldia Town should be completed between January 11 and 13, while the campaign for short interval additional dozes in remaining UCs of West Karachi district should be carried out from January 16 to 18.
The polio ambassador for Pakistan stressed the need to launch campaigns against polio in every nook and corner of the province so that there would zero incidents of polio cases in the future.
Meanwhile, Aseefa met the families of deceased polio workers at the Sindh CM House.
Aseefa personally went to each affected family and while embracing the women and children, expressed sympathies and sorrows for the deceased polio workers. She also met the injured workers and said that the present government had already provided compensation and financial assistance to the legal heirs of the deceased workers. She listened to the problems being faced by the families and said that the government would also fully look after the affected families and injured polio workers.
Furthermore, Aseefa assured the affected families that suitable jobs would be provided to family members of the deceased polio workers.
