PM’s Special Focus Group to discuss Polio Eradication

Lahore: As part of government efforts to eradicate Polio from the country, the Polio Focus Group, specially constituted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be meeting here this week to discuss eradication of the deadly disease.

The meeting would help preparation of a joint strategy for achieving maximum benefits during the low transmission season; vital for efforts for complete eradication of Polio from Pakistan.

The Focus Group to be jointly chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination and Secretary to the Prime Minister will help the provincial governments and administrative regions in identifying remaining gaps on real time basis. It would also provide technical and administrative support for complete interruption by the end of current low transmission season.

The Focus Group for Polio Eradication will have as its members Chief Secretaries from all provinces and administrative units and key officials of Federal Government Ministries and Divisions.

The meeting to be held here at the Prime Minister’s Office on Dec 7, would discuss ways to further improve the quality of the Polio campaigns and on every aspect of National Emergency Action Plan 2015-16 to achieve success.

The Chief Secretaries have been asked to come up with data and a short presentation for each province and administrative unit that would depict the current spread and challenges.

The meeting would discuss ways to address Polio eradication in the remaining few sanctuaries, where the virus still poses a threat, that have persisted despite sustained national efforts and involvement of a large number of stakeholders.

While significant progress has been made in access to vulnerable children, there remain persistent pockets of low immunity in some areas and regions where positive environmental samples were still being found.

The problem currently remains largely restricted to four remaining sanctuaries of Peshawar and Khyber conveyor belt, Quetta Block, Central Pakistan and urban areas of Karachi.

The meeting would address gaps in micro plan, selection and capacity building of frontline Polio workers and provide a safe and secure environment for the National Polio campaigns.

The Special Polio Group was constituted by the Prime Minister who has repeatedly committed at various international forums, the national resolve for complete eradication of Polio virus from Pakistan.