SWAT
Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) coordinator for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Abdul Basit has revealed that the polio eradication program has adopted innovative strategies to meet the modern day challenges and fill gaps in the program.
He expressed these views while addressing a workshop held to discuss the problems and obstacles in the fight against polio in Pakistan.
The session was jointly organized by Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) and UNICEF.
The session was attended by PPA provincial officials including Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Abbottabad, Swabi, and Bannu and well-known pediatricians from all districts of DI Khan Division. Special Secretary Health and EOC Coordinator Abdul Basit and PPA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial President Professor Dr. Muhammad Hussain jointly chaired this session.
EOC coordinator Abdul Basit said that various strategies such as Ring Strategy, Biker’s Strategy, Integrated Service Delivery (ISD), and organizing camps have been devised which are yielding far-reaching results in the fight against polio virus in the region.
However, misconceptions about the polio vaccine may hinder efforts to vaccinate all children in every campaign, posing a significant challenge to the program’s success, he added.
Addressing the workshop, Special Secretary Health and EOC Coordinator Abdul Basit said that polio prevention is a national emergency and cooperation and support from all sections of the society is required to achieve this goal.
Highlighting the important role of paediatricians in saving the country’s children from this deadly disease and achieving the goal of a polio-free Pakistan, Abdul Basit said that doctors are a very important and respected section of the society and every section People listen to doctors very seriously and follow their advice.
Therefore, they can play an important role in smoothing the public opinion in favor of the polio vaccine and especially in removing the misconceptions found among the public.
“We are focusing on collaborating with senior doctors, paediatricians and other health practitioners to remove the misconceptions people have about polio vaccination and immunization,” he added.
Mentioning his thoughts in the workshop, PPA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Professor Dr Muhammad Hussain said that the polio virus has been completely eradicated from all other countries of the world, but unfortunately, this virus is present only in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
While thanking the help and cooperation of international organizations for the prevention of polio, he said that polio and other diseases which can be cured by vaccination also consume a lot of resources of our own country for their vaccination programs.
