Pakistan: Fighting polio: Vaccinate displaced children, says WHO

The Express Tribune

Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafiq on Monday ordered that every child displaced from North Waziristan must be vaccinated against polio.

The adviser chaired a meeting to review anti-polio arrangements in the Punjab. He asked health officials to vaccinate children in Attock, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Dera Ghazi Khan on priority.

Rafiq asked the officials to immediately hold a meeting of the Provincial Task Force for Polio Eradication. Earlier, World Health Organisation representative Ubaidul Islam presented a report on the polio situation. He said a special polio drive should be launched in the cities where internally-displaced persons were staying.

He said a one-day polio campaign on July 17 in 23 “high risk” union councils of Lahore had been a huge success. He said 90 per cent of the designated areas were covered in the campaign.

Aslam Chaudhry from the Melinda Gates Foundation, Health Services Director General Zahid Pervaiz and Health Executive District Officer Zulfiqar Ali attended the meeting.

Health Secretary Ijaz Munir on Monday presided over a meeting to review progress on the development of Government Shahadra Teaching Hospital.

The secretary ordered posting of doctors to make the hospital functional by August 15. He said the hospital provided healthcare services not only to the people of Shahdara but also in adjoining areas.