Govt committed to achieve goal of polio eradication: Gilani
ISLAMABAD, Jan 14 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday reiterated the commitment of government to fulfill the global goal of eradicating polio from Pakistan.Speaking during a meeting here on National Emergency Action Plan on Polio Eradication 2011, he said the national plan was essential to curb cases of polio. “Despite our best efforts over the years, we continue to see transmission of polio virus in the country. This year witnessed a dramatic rise in the number of polio cases across the country,” he added.Given this background, he said, there was an imperative need to rethink the collective response and modify the anti-polio campaign.
“We needed to determine as to what difference can be made to reach out to the un-reached children with polio vaccine,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister said: “failure is not an option anymore. We have come this far after years of struggle with the support of our international partners. We must now finish the job with a more focused approach and renewed commitment.  We must work tirelessly to remove the remaining bottlenecks, which threaten to reverse gains achieved over the years.”
“We are fully alive to the situation in areas where security is volatile and are working together with our valiant armed forces to make anti-polio campaign a success. The message of this campaign is the message of hope and life. It is a message of health and well being against disability and illness,” he added.
Gilani said he was encouraged by the example of Swat where extremists blew up girls’ schools and propagated against health campaigns like polio.
“Due to the resilience of the people of Swat and heroic sacrifices of our armed forces, the state has re-established its writ,” he said adding, “Life is back to normal there with teachers spreading the light of knowledge and health workers actively engaged in taking services like the polio vaccine to the doorsteps of those who need them. There is the highest level of political commitment to wipe out polio from the country.”
Gilani said President Asif Ali Zardari himself deeply interested in the anti-polio drive and is personally monitoring the progress on this initiative.
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the first child who was administered polio drops when Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto launched this campaign in Pakistan, is now the Ambassador for Polio Eradication. She is taking the message of the campaign to the households and communities across Pakistan, he informed.
Gilani said as the anti-polio programme was first launched in 1994 by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, therefore it is an added responsibility of the government to accomplish the goal she set for the country.Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto wanted Pakistan to be such country where no child ever got paralysed by polio.
He called upon the Chief Ministers and Provincial Chief Secretaries to make sure that polio is on the top priority of their agenda and gets sufficient policy attention and resources.
“Through the anti-polio plan, we are instituting a system of accountability and ownership. I request you to see to it that there is zero tolerance for slackness in performance during the anti-polio campaign. This is a question of our honour and prestige in the international community as the eyes of the world are on us.  We must make sure that we are up to the task in a most efficient manner,” he added.
He said he is sure that the emergency plan addresses the issues of access, insecurity, accountability and ownership through clearly laid out strategies.
“There is no reason why we should lag behind other countries which harbour polio during 2011,” he observed.
Gilani announced the constitution of the National Task Force headed by the Prime Minister with all Chief Ministers and Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as members to oversee the progress on the polio eradication.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the unstinted support of the international partner agencies including WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, Government of Japan and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“Your support has been instrumental in taking forward our fight against polio and we look forward to a stronger partnership in the days to come for the sake of our children,” he added.
Mentioning the contribution and support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he said. “Mr. Bill Gates had written to me a few days back wherein he reiterated his support for polio eradication in Pakistan and wished us Godspeed in our efforts to stop polio transmission during the current year.”
Addressing the meeting Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin urged the need for highest level of political commitment in the country in wiping out polio.
He said the plan is in line with the Government’s commitment to improve the health of the citizens, especially the children and the poor, adding, the plan sets an ambitious agenda to stop polio virus circulation in the country soon.
The Minister said the government was fully alive to the situation in the security compromised areas and working together with the valiant armed forces that have rendered unparalleled sacrifices to establish the writ of the Government and will succeed in taking the campaign to our children in FATA.
AJK Prime Minister Attique Ahmed Khan, Governor KPK Owais Ahmed Ghani, Provincial Chief Ministers and Senior Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister showed their firm commitment to make the plan a success.
They expressed the resolve of their respective governments that despite problems they will achieve desired result before time.
While briefing the meeting Federal Health Secretary Khashnood Lashari said the government will focus on high risk districts, mobile population and access in insecure areas of FATA.
He said 142 cases of polio were detected in 2010 in the country. He said under the emergency action plan for polio eradication our goals will be to control the current outbreaks by the middle of 2011 and stop polio transmission by end of year.
He said political stewardship, government ownership, community engagement, performance based incentive and accountability are the vital organs of the success of the plan.
About specific plans for high risk districts, he said medical officers to be assigned as responsible and accountable for every Union Council, will ensure the involvement of public representatives and social mobilization.
The meeting was attended by AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah, Federal Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Begum Shehnaz Wazir Ali, Senior Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister and Chief Secretaries of all the provinces.