Pak-Afghan boxers unite to raise polio awareness

Matches attracted teams from Balochistan and Kandahar.

QUETTA:

Following the Cross-Border Coordination Meeting between Pakistan and Afghanistan last month in Kabul on combating polio, anti-polio teams from Balochistan and Kandahar province in Afghanistan have been working closely to improve coordination among cross-border teams and raise awareness on the crippling nature of the disease.

A two-day Pak-Afghan Knock-Out Polio Boxing Matches event was organised in the Chaman sub-division of Qilla Abdullah district in Balochistan on September 8 and 9 to raise awareness among the local communities on the benefits of polio immunisation.

Some 60 teams participated in the event, of which 10 were from Kandahar and the rest from Quetta, Pishin and Qilla-Abdullah. A total of 15 boxing clubs from Quetta and Kandahar also participated.

Officials from the Balochistan government and community elders greeted the Afghan teams and officials at the Friendship Gate [Pakistan-Afghanistan cross-border point].

Following the Cross-Border Coordination Meeting, the boxing event was launched by the Afghan officials exhibiting their support for the programme and promoting the idea of a joint anti-polio campaign between the neighbours.

The event opened with a friendship match between children of Pishin and Quetta, followed by matches between teams from Kandahar and Quetta.

Thirty-two fights were contested over the two days, showing support for the eradication of polio in the region. Around 1,500 to 1,600 spectators witnessed the matches. A team from Kandahar won the event, while another team from Quetta was the runner-up.

Following the conclusion of the event, there was widespread appreciation among the participants, spectators and the local community for the efforts of the anti-polio teams in raising awareness of the risks of the disease. They also acknowledged the need of eradicating it.

The organisers also urged the parents of the community to allow anti-polio teams to immunise all the children below the age of five.

Combating polio through social awareness

Approximately 200 United Nations Children’s Fund accredited staff are working in 5 high risk districts of Quetta, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Naseerabad and Jaffarabad to support the government’s anti-polio drive through social mobilisation and raising awareness of the threats of polio and the benefits of anti-polio drops.

A number of activities are being conducted, including sports events, religious leaders’ meetings, school sessions, polio eradication walks and other programmes.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2012.