Govt, UNICEF and WHO stress adherence to SOPs

Dr Zafar Mirza says everyone in the country had a role to play to protect themselves from the virus

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Unicef and WHO on Tuesday called on the people to reinforce adherence to Covid-19 SOPs and strictly enforce key preventive measures against the novel coronavirus.

Addressing an online event Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza said everyone in the country had a role to play to protect themselves from the virus.

“The goal is to avoid a repetition of the spike in coronavirus transmission which followed Eidul Fitr in May by strictly observing the standard operating procedures against the pandemic, as flagged by Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday,” he stressed.

“We are at a critical juncture of the current pandemic, witnessing a significant decrease in the number of cases, and no way can afford slackness or complacence, as was observed during Eidul Fitr days,” he said,

Unicef Representative in Pakistan Aida Girma said the country is at a crucial stage of its joint fight against the coronavirus, adding that It was crucial to implement the measures and behaviours that are key to save lives and prevent the spread of the virus.

“The more we adhere to these behaviours, the sooner we will be able to resume a normal life and provide children and families with the essential services they need, such as immunisation against preventable diseases, nutrition to keep at bay lifelong problems such as stunting and wasting, and education to help children and adolescents build their future and that of their communities,” Girma said.

The Government of Pakistan is working to resume and sustain the provision of essential services with support from Unicef and WHO across the country. Immunisation against polio has already resumed in a number of high-risk districts.

“WHO appreciates the efforts of the Government of Pakistan to resume the provision of essential health care services in the context of Covid-19 with the support of all the partners, particularly WHO and Unicef,” said WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, on the occasion.