State Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar expressed reservations on Tuesday over the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s decision to ban international travel of Pakistanis in order to prevent the spread of polio and said the government would file an appeal against it.
Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, she cited the poor law and order situation and the issue of Dr Shakil Afridi as the reasons for the recent rise in the number of polio cases.
Tarar said polio cases were reported in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Peshawar and some areas of Karachi.”No polio case has been reported in Balochistan during the last two years and none in Balochistan for the last one year,” claimed Saira.
She said that setting up polio camps is difficult in FATA due to terrorism in the area.
She said a polio vaccination certificate, for people intending to go aboard, would be prepared with the consultation of the provinces.
“The government has convened a meeting of all the provincial health ministers and representatives of health departments on May 7 to devise a strategy to address the issue,” she said.
The minister said that all the religious scholars were onboard on the issue and help will also be sought from the Imam-e-Kaaba who is expected to visit Pakistan next month.
Saira said lack of accessibility is the major hurdle in immunisation and control of polio and “it is the prime responsibility of the provincial governments to address this issue”.
EFFORTS CONTINUE FOR POLIO ERADICATION: The National Assembly was informed that the government is working on a comprehensive strategy to make the country polio-free.
Speaking on a call attention notice moved by Shaista Pervaiz and others regarding the WHO recommendation to impose international travel restrictions on Pakistanis due to the increasing cases of polio in the country, State Minister Saira told the House that WHO recommendations are also for two other countries, including Cameron and Syria.
Sha said, “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is taking personal interest to address the issue o polio vaccination and has held meeting with the WHO head in this regard.”
Meanwhile, five bills were introduced in the NA .The chair referred the bills to the concerned committees of the House.
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