Islamabad, July 16, 2013 - Addressing to the briefing session organized for members of the Parliament from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, Minister of National Health services, Regulations and Coordination expressed concern over the misconceptions and negative propaganda about the polio programme. “Our children continue to fall prey of misconceptions and negative propaganda spread by elements who have little understanding that they are infact harming their own children and inflicting loss on their own people” says Tarar. While underlining the role of public representatives she mentioned that it is now incumbent upon us all to step forward and defeat this mindset through the light of education and awareness.

While opening the session, Secretary National Health Services, Mr. Imtiaz Inayat Ilahi requested parliamentarians of all political parties to appoint a focal person in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to monitor the conduct of polio campaigns, oversee the performance and convince the constituents to vaccinate their children.

Highlighting the threats being faced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Parliamentarians were presented a comprehensive briefing by the National Coordinator of the Prime Minister Polio Monitoring and Coordination Cell, Dr. Altaf Bosan, on the critical polio crisis in the areas.

The meeting was told that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the only province which reported more cases in 2012 as compared to 2011. In 2013 to date, the province has reported a total of 5 cases.  Expressing the severity of the situation, it was revealed that Situation in Peshawar is particularly a major obstacle currently in achieving the goal. Peshawar has the highest rate of poliovirus detection in sewage water.  More than three-fourth of the cases this year, are linked to polioviruses circulation in central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa especially Peshawar.

Discussing the state of FATA, it was mentioned that FATA is the region with the highest number of polio cases in the country in 2013. A total of 12 polio cases have been reported so far from FATA. Hub of the polio outbreak in FATA is in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency and North Waziristan. Khyber Agency reported 8 and North Waziristan 2 polio cases so far in 2013.

“There is also danger of large number of polio cases in next months if current outbreak in FATA with epicenter in Bara and North Waziristan Agency is not managed,” briefing revealed.

Parliamentarians during discussion session raised their concerns over the deteriorating situation of Polio Eradication Programme including low morale of polio workers, security threats, efficacy of vaccine and lack of coordination among elected representatives and health department officials.

Shehryar Afridi, MNA from PTI raised the concern over low and delayed payments of polio workers and stressed while Senator Haji Adeel urged to keep the finances and accounts of Polio prgramme transparent and public to scrutiny. Senator Rubina Khalid while discussing the way forward said this is the high time to get united and fight against this mindset that is opposing polio drops and compromising the future of Pakistan.

 Senator Farhatullah Babar highlighted the effects of security threats to polio workers that are acting as a limiting factor for the morale of the frontline force. Eng Ali Muhammad Khan, MNA from PTI insisted to increase the incentives for the polio workers so that to keep their morale in high spirits.

Mr. Siraj ul Haq, MNA from PTI raised the issue of lack of coordination and cooperation between health officials and public representatives and stress on the improvement of the system.

Over 25 Parliamentarians participated in the briefing session while representatives of polio partners also attended the session.