LAHORE (Web Desk) – World Polio Day is being observed in Pakistan today (Tuesday) to raise awareness about the significance of vaccination against and protection of every child from this life-threatening and disabling disease.
World Polio Day also provides an opportunity to highlight global efforts toward a polio-free world and honour the tireless contributions of those on the frontlines in the fight to eradicate this disease from every corner of the globe.
In his message on the occasion, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf urged the parents to complete the course of polio vaccination for their children to protect them against the disease.
He said currently, only four countries in the world are left with the polio virus, including Pakistan.
PMA CONCERN
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has expressed concern over the increasing number of positive environmental samples for polio and detection of new cases.
“This shows the poor performance of our polio programme. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries left in the world where polio continues to threaten the health and well-being of children. Pakistan remains under a polio-linked travel restriction imposed by the WHO,” Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro of the PMA stated.
He called upon the government to chalk out a fool-proof strategy to curb polio virus on an emergent basis.
“To control this virus, sewage system will have to be made safe and on priority basis. The government should run an effective awareness campaign, remove misconceptions about the vaccine and convince the masses to vaccinate their children positively instead of under threat. Nobody can force parents for polio drops to their children through any law or FIR,” he said.