ISLAMABAD, 24 October 2022 – The Pakistan Polio Programme honoured ten outstanding Polio Front Line Health Workers for excellence in performance in an event organized today as part of World Polio Day 2022. The theme is World Polio Day 2022 and Beyond: A healthier future for mothers and children.
The women health workers who lead eradication efforts for polio are protecting children in Pakistan and children all over the world from preventable, lifelong paralysis, Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel said at a ceremony to mark World Polio Day on Monday.
“We cannot thank our front-line staff deeply enough for their services to humanity,” the Health Minister said after awarding shields to the workers. He added that polio workers have supported Pakistan through the most difficult times and in the most challenging circumstances, from supporting in COVID-19 vaccinations to flood relief efforts.
Speaking at the occasion, the Health Minister said Pakistan has made great strides in the fight against polio with virus circulation reduced to only one small part of the country. “If we can eliminate the poliovirus from southern KP, we will succeed in eliminating polio from Pakistan altogether. We are actually quite close to the finish line and we are determined to get there as soon as possible.”
Since the Polio Eradication Programme was launched in 1994, there has been a massive decline in polio cases in Pakistan, where approximately 20,000 children were paralyzed every year in the early 1990s.
“It is rare to see the level of dedication anywhere else as we see in polio teams. Polio workers were affected by the floods, many had their homes damaged and destroyed but they still reached children with the life-saving vaccine,” said National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Coordinator Dr Shahzad Baig, echoing the Minister’s sentiments.
The ceremony was held to pay tribute to over 370,000 workers protecting millions of Pakistani children from polio.
“With continued support from our health workers, parents and the community, I am certain that we can make this disease history,” Dr Baig added.
The Health Minister thanked the international community, donors and Global Polio Eradication Partners for their support in the fight against polio as well as parents and caregivers for recognizing the importance of protecting their children from the virus. He particularly mentioned Rotary for their stalwart support over many years.
Minister Abdul Qadir Patel also launched a sub-national polio campaign by administering polio drops to children. During this five-day campaign, over 25 million children under five years of age will be vaccinated in 83 districts of Pakistan, including southern KP where the current outbreak is.
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Note for the Editor:
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free.
Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world along with its neighbour Afghanistan.
For more information, visit our website - https://www.endpolio.com.pk
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