“Polio-Free Pakistan: A Legislative Priority,

During the open-floor session of the meeting titled “Polio-Free Pakistan: A Legislative Priority,” organized by the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights under the chairpersonship of its Convenor, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan, MNA, Parliamentary Secretaries Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Ms. Rana Ansar, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, and Mr. Muhammad Qasim Soomro—Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Government of Sindh—along with members from civil society organizations, raised several key questions. These included queries regarding the spread of WPV1 through waterborne strains, the impact of migration, the effectiveness of federal–provincial collaboration on immunization efforts, the need to enhance training for polio health workers, the lack of monitoring and accountability mechanisms in peripheral areas, and strategies to address parental refusal across all four provinces for children within the immunization age.
The National Coordinator for the Polio Program at the Ministry of Health, Capt. (R) Anwar-ul-Haq, responded to the questions and emphasized that South KP, Karachi, and Hyderabad require the most focused attention, as these regions report the highest refusal rates. He highlighted that routine immunization, coupled with large-scale nationwide polio campaigns, remains essential, and underscored that sensitization and community awareness are key to gaining parents’ confidence and making Pakistan polio-free.
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ریڈیو پاکستان
Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Islamabad