Unicef representative visits EOC KP: 'Leadership and efforts by frontline workers resulted in polio decrease'

The Country Representative of Unicef, Angela Kearney has said that concerted efforts by frontline workers and leadership of the government have resulted in noticeable decrease in polio cases in the country and stressed upon cross segments of society to play due role in stamping out the crippling disease from the region. She said this during her visit to Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here on Wednesday.
EOC Co-ordinator Dr Akbar Khan, Regional Co-ordinator Unicef Rod Curtis, Chief Field Officer Unicef Micheal Juma, Health Specialist Unicef Dr Jamil, acting polio team member Dr Johar and relevant officers of Health department were present on the occasion. Angela Kearney paid glorious tributes to polio workers for their sacrifices in the line of their duty that aimed at achieving the global cause of polio eradication.
She appreciated establishment of EOCs that is playing key role in streamlining all the efforts for polio eradication in the country. She said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata are the spotlight and focus of the world due to polio and appreciated that despite number of challenges downward trend has been observed in polio cases in Pakistan. She also lauded successful initiatives undertaken by Unicef with the support of government with a view to provide free of cost healthcare facilities to the underserved people at their doorsteps.
The health camps is a successful intervention launched under Sehat Ka Ittehad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during which more than 10,000 zero dose children were vaccinated for the first time in the province and in view of its success and demand by the public it would continue in the upcoming low transmission season in the province, she added. Angela assured all-out support in routine immunisation, measles and other vaccine preventable diseases.