Daily Times

Delegation from Pakistan highlights polio eradication successes and challenges at Independent Monitoring Board meeting in Geneva

Islamabad, July 12, 2023 Secretary for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Iftikhar Shallwani, has said that Pakistan has made remarkable progress on polio eradication, despite many challenges, and is well on the path to wipe out polio from its borders.

Delivering a statement on behalf of Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel at the 22nd meeting of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) in Geneva on Tuesday, the federal health secretary said that polio eradication has been and is a top priority for the Government of Pakistan.

He stated that the government’s commitment is evident from the fact that polio campaigns continued largely uninterrupted in 2022 even when the country faced political transition, a climate catastrophe and economic hardship.

Secretary Iftikhar Shallwani said: “The emergence of polio cases last year after a historic gap of 15 months was a stark reminder that while we have made remarkable progress, the work is far from over, and even greater determination is needed now more than ever.”

Highlighting the innovative strategies of the Pakistan Polio Programme to reach every last child with the vaccine, he said that after the 2022 outbreak, only one polio case has been reported this year, which speaks volumes about the Programme’s preparedness and response capacity.

“Many challenges still remain between us and the polio finish line, and the government is doing its utmost to reach all inaccessible children, address community hesitancy and vaccinate at border crossings,” the health secretary said. “We are confident that we are on the right path, and we will interrupt virus transmission this year.”

The Pakistani delegation at the IMB meeting, which continues till July 13, also includes Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Chief Secretary Balochistan Abdul Aziz Uquaili and National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication Coordinator Dr Shahzad Baig, among others.

The IMB is an impartial, independent body of global health experts which assesses the progress and challenges of polio eradication and issues an annual report. Through its unbiased evaluations and recommendations, the IMB promotes transparency and accountability in polio eradication strategies worldwide.