Army to help improve polio coverage at Chaman border

QUETTA:

Pakistan Army has assured of full cooperation to Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Balochistan in efforts to administer polio vaccine drops to children at Pak-Afghan border crossings, particularly at the Friendship Gate in Chaman.

A meeting was held at EOC to review the strategy of vaccinating children at Permanent Transit Points (PTP). EOC Coordinator Dr Saifur Rehman chaired the meeting attended by representatives of Southern Command Major Inam Haider and local and foreign organisations working for polio eradication in Pakistan.

Dr Sarfraz Jamaldini of WHO informed the meeting that there are total 57 PTPs of which 46 are functional and among these six transit points are with Afghanistan and 16 are inter provincial.

The facilities at Friendship Gate in Chaman are not up to the mark, he told the meeting. He said there is a need of another PTP near Pak-Afghan border to improve the vaccination coverage. The meeting was informed about the lack of shades, umbrella, poor maintenance of cold chain, security concerns and validation of vaccination data.

The official of Southern Command extended complete support and said Pakistan Army is well aware of this issue and its importance. It was decided that officials will visit Friendship Gate to review the situation and take step to improve the coverage.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2015.