Islamabad : The Minister for National Health Services Muhammad Yousaf Shaikh Tuesday directed the management of the polio eradication programme to convene a meeting of the National Task Force under the caretaker Prime Minister.

Reviewing Pakistan’s progress towards poliovirus interruption during a meeting held in the Ministry, Yousaf Shaikh said, “We must continue to take polio eradication with the same degree of seriousness till the job is done.” Secretary Health Zahid Saeedadvised the programme to finalize the PC-1 for next 3 years (2019-2021) to ensure adequate provision of resources during the transition phase.

Also present on the occasion was the National CoordinatorDr. Rana Muhammad Safdar, who gave a briefing on the progress as well as mitigation strategies to overcome the remaining risks in the low-transmission season 2018-19, and Director General HealthDr. Assad Hafeez.

Extending appreciation to the country team, the Minister reiterated that, “Polio eradication enjoys broad political support in Pakistan, and the transition government will continue to follow the course set for eradication.

Appreciating the commitment of the frontline workers, Secretary Health urged the need to plug the gaps of health and immunization systems. “Converging efforts for better routine immunization coverage, improving water and sanitation and addressing malnutrition would give the programme that decisive push,” Zahid Saeed stated.The Secretary said, despite progress, the job is far from being over as the virus has still managed to paralyse three children in Dukki, Balochsitan, during 2018 and continues to be detected from core reservoirs of Karachi as well as Quetta block and Khyber-Peshawar.

Dr. Rana Safdar said the National Emergency Action Plan for 2018-19 shall be presented in the upcoming meeting of the National Task Force. The document builds on the gains made in last low season and aims to focus its best efforts in the current hot spots, while sustaining gains everywhere else. Alignment of strategies with Afghanistan and strengthening routine immunization are other identified priorities for additional focus.