Pashtun writers, intellectuals urged to educate people about polio through their work

Deputy Director EPI K-P expressed concern over prevalence of polio cases in Pashtun areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan.

PESHAWAR: Highlighting the rise of polio cases in Pashtun-dominated areas, the Pashtun writers and intellectuals were urged to educate their community members regarding the disease through their work.

During the 2nd World Pashto Literary Convention, Deputy Director Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Jan Baz Afridi expressed deep concern over the prevalence of polio cases in Pashtun areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

While thanking organisers for allocating time for polio awareness during the convention, Afridi said that it was a national cause and the government has already declared its eradication as an immediate task.

The two-day Pashto literary convention hosted writers, intellectuals, poets and professors from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Balochistan, Germany, United Arab Emirates and Britain.

K-P Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain inaugurated the poetic event. Secretary Information and Culture Azmat Hanif Orakzai was also present on the occasion.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Health and Nutrition Specialist Dr Jamil read a Pashto poem about a polio-affected child, highlighting the miseries faced by him throughout his life.

The participants appreciated the efforts of UNICEF and Health Department for their hard work against polio.

It is pertinent to mention that 15 polio cases were recently reported in the province and the tribal areas during the first three months of 2012.