With Pakistan’s polio cases reaching 43 and the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with the polio control programme officials for effectively curbing the spread of the virus, the Federal Secretary of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination (MoNHSRC) NadeemMehbub held a meeting with senior officials of both the federal and the provincial government.
Federal Health Secretary NadeemMehbub and Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) NadeemAslam along with IG Police KP jointly chaired a review of the campaign performance of KP’s ongoing polio drive.
The high-level visit was prompted by seven new polio cases in the province, including two in Kohat. With five cases involving zero-dose children and several linked to injection neuritis, the visit underscored the critical need for targeted interventions in high-risk areas to reach unreached children.
The government during the ongoing campaign has instructed to go for each and every polio case on serology. The officials called for serology tests on new polio cases to verify vaccination status and ensure the integrity of finger marking.
Emphasizing accountability, they reiterated a zero-tolerance policy against fake finger marking, with firm measures against any violations.
This oversight visit reaffirms the commitment of federal and provincial leadership to eradicating polio in KP by prioritizing strategic enhancements in human resources, setting realistic goals, and fostering inter-agency collaboration—critical steps in overcoming persistent challenges, particularly in high-priority areas like Kohat.
