PM Imran Khan directs more action as no polio case reported in six months

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for immediate actions needed for the complete elimination of the poliovirus in the country after it emerged that no case of the crippling disease has been reported during the past six months, ARY NEWS reported on Tuesday.

During a virtual meeting on the anti-polio campaign headed by the prime minister, it was briefed that no poliovirus case has been reported in the country during the last six months.

The meeting which was also attended by SAPM on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, and other officials was briefed that only 14 percent of the environmental samples have been found to be carrying poliovirus.

“This was 56 percent during the last year,” the meeting was briefed with emphasis that the next six to 12 months are important in this regard.

The prime minister directed the deputy commissioners of the high-risk districts who also attended the meeting to avail the opportunity and immunize the children in their area to completely eliminate poliovirus from the country.

Imran Khan also called for utilizing all resources needed to eliminate the virus and said that immediate measures should be taken in this regard.

It is pertinent to mention here that a nationwide polio campaign is currently underway in Pakistan with a target to administer drops to 23 million children across the country in a bid to fight the crippling disease.

National Coordinator for Polio programme Dr. Shahzad Baig said that 179,000 polio workers would participate in the nationwide campaign while completely adopting COVID SOPs.

“Administering polio drops to children upto the age of five years old is mandatory and the parents should welcome workers reaching out to them,” he said.