World Polio Day being observed today
Polio is a disease that can cause paralysis and sometimes death.
LAHORE (Dunya News / APP) - The World Polio Day is being observed across the globe today (Monday) with renewed pledge to work with more dedication in enhancing awareness about the hazards of the crippling disease.
Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Hyderabad and district administration’s focal person for Polio eradication Shakeel Abro, district focal person polio campaign Hyderabad Dr Syed Masood Hussain Jafri, officer at National Stop transmission of polio programme Dr Jamshed Khanzada, director health Hyderabad & MD (Paeds) Dr Ahmed Hayder, Professor Medicine at LUMHS, jamshoro Dr Bikha Ram Devrajani and others have said that polio had been declared a national emergency and a deployed team of professionals in the Emergency Operation Centre in the provincial health directorate was working hard to achieve the targets.
Sources told that as many as 15 polio cases have been surfaced in Pakistan in current year so far.
However, a determined Lahore’s resident Mohammad Bilal is fighting with the disease by selling air balloons on wheel chair. He said that he preferred hard working over sitting idle at home.
The buyers also lauded Bilal’s enthusiasm and said that he is brave and zealous but the parents should administer polio drops to their children on regular basis.
On the other hand, the memorial, established by Rotary International in 1985, honours the birthday of Dr Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a polio vaccine.
Through 2018, every dollar Rotary commits to direct support for polio immunization will be matched 2-to-1 (up to $35 million per year) by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A highly infectious disease, polio still strikes children mainly under the age of five in parts of Africa and South Asia. Polio can cause paralysis and sometimes death.
