Innovative strategies for reaching children with preselected polio were discussed

PESHAWAR:

A meeting of integrated service delivery was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Health Minister Mehmood Aslam Wazir.

The agenda of the meeting was to discuss the implementation of the anti-polio program in the seven most sensitive areas of the province and to ensure access to children suffering from polio in these areas. The meeting was also attended by UNICEF Health Team Leader Dr Inamullah, Additional Director General Dr Shaid Younas, EPI Director Dr Arif, Nutrition Director Dr Fazal Majeed, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Ayan Khan, HRSU Head Dr. Shaheen Afridi.

The program focuses on the seven southern regions declared sensitive by the National Emergency Operations Center to ensure 100% compliance.

The meeting discussed the issue of increased polio vaccination coverage in North Waziristan, Upper and Lower South Waziristan, Bannu and other sensitive areas, including increasing the coverage of the vaccination programme.

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Informing the participants, Dr. Ikramullah said the main objective of the project is to finalize the integrated service delivery plan and ensure its timely implementation.

He said that every effort will be made to reach children in the default polio category, adding that the immune system of these children is weak, which leads to polio cases among these vulnerable children in the seven most sensitive areas.

Speaking on this occasion, Mehmood Aslam Wazir said that designing a unique strategy specifically for UC is the need of the hour because the comprehensive strategy adopted so far has not worked in these areas and this problem could be solved through innovation.

He said that more and more lady health workers (LHWs) should be employed in this role, adding that many rural areas of the southern districts were inaccessible and unreachable and this problem should also be addressed on priority.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd2023.