PM Khan reviews polio situation in country

ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan is in progress in the federal capital to discuss the alarming polio situation in the country.

The meeting is being briefed about the steps taken by the provinces to eradicate the poliovirus, Radio Pakistan reported.

The meeting is being attended amongst others by Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza, the Chief Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Sindh.

Representatives of Bill and Melinda Gates, World Health Organization and the UNICEF are also attending the meeting.

Two days earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of a sharp rise in polio cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and called an urgent meeting to review measures taken to eliminate the crippling disease, so far.

In KP alone, the tally has reached 41 in this year so far. Provincial Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan had directed to accelerate the anti-polio drive in the province.