Chief Secretary chairs polio task force meeting, voices concern over drop in coverage

QUETTA: A meeting of the provincial task force on polio eradication was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan. It reviewed the performance of the last polio campaign and discussed in detail preparations for the next one, micro-planning, vaccination coverage and the challenges faced.

The Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio, Ms Ayesha Raza, attended the meeting via video link. Provincial EOC Coordinator Inamul Haq, Special Secretary Health Shahak Baloch, commissioners, deputy commissioners, District Health Officers and other officials concerned also took part. A performance report on the last campaign was presented, and the steps taken by departments and district administrations to make the next campaign effective were reviewed.

Refusals and zero-dose children are two separate problems

Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan said the complete eradication of the polio virus from the province was among the government’s top priorities, and all available resources should be used for this national cause. He said that, besides identifying obstacles, effective steps were needed to remove them permanently, and that ending polio was essential to give future generations a safe and healthy future.

He said that refusal to administer the polio vaccine and the presence of zero-dose children were two different problems. Their causes must be examined separately and an effective strategy adopted. He expressed particular concern over the performance of districts where vaccination coverage had been better in earlier campaigns but fell in the latest one. He directed that the reasons for the drop be identified at once and addressed.

The Chief Secretary directed that the attendance and performance of duties by polio teams and vaccinators be ensured. He said action should be taken under the rules against staff who show negligence or lack of interest in their duty. He added that the Health Department should take immediate steps where staff were short.

He said that eradicating polio was not an unachievable goal and could be reached through an effective strategy, responsibility, sincerity and continuous monitoring. He said Pakistan had made notable progress in various fields and, in several of them, performed on a par with developed countries, so collective resolve was needed to end polio as well. He made it clear that the set targets must be met in the next campaign at any cost, and that no negligence, lapse or irresponsibility would be tolerated.

Earlier, EOC Coordinator Balochistan Inamul Haq gave the meeting a detailed briefing on the performance of previous polio campaigns, the current situation and preparations for the next campaign.

Photo: courtesy DGPR Balochistan