Federal Health Minister Muhammad Nasir Khan on Monday has said that the government is considering involvement of religious leaders in polio immunisation campaigns to make it a success.
He made this statement while speaking at a two-day Technical Advisory Group meeting on polio eradication in Pakistan.
Nasir Khan said that Pakistan had made considerable progress as evident from the drop in the number of cases and restriction of virus transmission.
"Our areas of concern, however, remain D.G. Khan in Punjab, Northern Sindh especially Jacobabad and Southern NWFP, the North Waziristan Agency," he added.
He informed the meeting that Balochistan had become polio free province as no case was reported there since Oct 2003.
The Health Minister assured the meeting that all forthcoming campaigns would of the highest quality, and no eligible child would be missed.
Speaking on the occasion, Nasir Khan expressed his satisfaction over the involvement of religious leaders in this immunisation campaign, urging them to support the government especially in the NWFP and Balochistan.
Talking about the quality of polio vaccines, the minister said, "polio vaccine administered to our children is of the highest quality, in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) quality standards."
"Right from the President, the Prime Minister down to the district Nazim and councillors, everyone is determined to complete wiped out polio in very near future," he reiterated.
The Minister also acknowledged the tremendous support of the WHO, Jica, Unicef and Rotary International.
Addressing the participants of the Technical Advisory Group meeting, Secretary Health, Tariq Farooq said that there was need to redouble efforts and pay special attention to the high-risk districts. "While a lot of hard work has been done in containing the transmission of polio virus, now there is need for precision targeting of areas with persistent transmission," he stressed.
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