PHOTO: AFP
A senior official of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC), who preferred to remain unnamed, revealed to The Express Tribune that the meeting is to be held on April 16-17 to develop strategies for overcoming current challenges related to surveillance of the virus in bordering areas.
“It is a fact that daily cross-border movement to and from southern Afghanistan to Pakistan, of people who have not been vaccinated against the crippling disease, is further aggravating the polio situation in Balochsitan and near-by cities by circulating the virus,” said the official.
The official said previous year the ratio of exportation of polio virus from Afghanistan to Pakistan was relatively high, however this year no such cases have been reported.
Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, focal person PM Polio cell will represent Pakistan and is set to meet Firozuddin Feroz, Public Health Minister Afghanistan to discuss strengthening of permanent transit points to ensure polio vaccination is administered to travelers to Afghanistan or to Pakistan at main entry and exit points.
When contacted Ayesha Raza Farooq, Focal Person PM Polio Cell said that since 2012 Pakistan is being blamed for the exportation of polio virus to Afghanistan.
She said Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long border and everyday a large number of people move through both countries in an informal way most without being vaccinated against polio.
“Through this meeting we will try to convey a message to the international community about the challenges that are being faced by both the countries in their border region and present strategies to address them,” she said.
Farooq further said that Pakistan will ask the Afghanistan government to vaccinate people in those areas where Pakistan is unable to due to security situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2015.
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