Latest news with #NationalPolioManagementTeam
Business Recorder
10-08-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Commitment to eradicating polio by finalising ‘Road to Zero' strategy reaffirmed
LAHORE: The national and provincial leadership has reaffirmed its commitment to ending polio in Pakistan by finalizing a comprehensive 'Road to Zero' strategy during a two-day National Polio Management Team (NPMT) meeting, which concluded here on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio, Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, and attended by Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) coordinators from all four provinces as well as representatives from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Senior officials from the federal government, partner agencies, and development organizations were also present. Presiding over the meeting, Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq paid rich tribute to the frontline polio workers, acknowledging their unwavering dedication despite persistent challenges such as refusals, misinformation, and access issues in high-risk areas. 'Despite the odds, our frontline workers are doing a remarkable job. The NPMT has provided all stakeholders an opportunity to openly discuss and deliberate on the challenges facing the programme and strategize actionable solutions,' she remarked. While expressing concern over the evolving epidemiological trends, the PMFP noted that although serious challenges remain, substantial progress has been made in areas such as surveillance quality, campaign performance, and risk communication. She called on all stakeholders—including government departments and international partners—to work with renewed commitment and collaboration. 'This year, we will approach things differently. Out-of-the-box solutions must be applied to reach every missed child and eradicate polio once and for all,' she stated. Ms. Farooq emphasized the critical importance of the pre-campaign phase of Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs) to ensure successful outcomes and lasting impact. She also highlighted the growing synergy between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), terming it a pivotal element for polio eradication. Addressing specific regional challenges, she urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) team to intensify efforts to overcome security-related barriers, particularly in South KP, which remains one of the most challenging zones for the programme. While maintaining focus on traditional polio hotspots and virus reservoirs, the PMFP cautioned stakeholders not to neglect other areas that currently appear stable. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Arab News
08-08-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Pakistan says will explore ‘new solutions' in polio eradication as cases hit 19 in 2025
KARACHI: Pakistan will adopt new approaches in its fight against polio as the country confirmed its 19th virus case of the year, the country's top polio official said on Friday, stressing the need for accountability and innovation ahead of the next nationwide vaccination drive next month. Pakistan recorded its 19th polio case of the year this week after a five-month-old child tested positive in the northwestern Lakki Marwat district. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio is still endemic. Islamabad made significant progress in curbing the virus, with annual cases falling from around 20,000 in the early 1990s to just eight in 2018. Pakistan reported six cases in 2023 and only one in 2021, but the virus resurged sharply in 2024 with 74 reported cases. 'We will work differently this year, moving beyond traditional approaches and exploring new solutions,' said Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio, after chairing a meeting of the National Polio Management Team in Islamabad. The meeting brought together the National Emergency Operations Center, provincial polio coordinators and international eradication partners to review the situation across all four provinces. 'The spread of the poliovirus has increased, but work is continuing toward improvement,' Farooq added. 'The period before a polio campaign is crucial for results.' Health authorities will begin the next nationwide polio vaccination campaign on September 1, with a special focus on high-risk and priority areas including southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Farooq directed teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the worst hit province with 12 of the total 19 cases, to address security challenges in its southern districts and emphasized maintaining efforts in both high-risk hotspots and better-performing areas. 'Polio eradication requires real accountability at every level,' she said, adding that collaboration with routine immunization programs remained critical. Pakistan's efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage. Militant groups also frequently target polio vaccination teams, and the security personnel assigned to protect them, particularly in the KP and Balochistan provinces.
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
PM's aide alarmed over rising polio cases
Prime Minister's Focal Person on Polio Eradication, Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq on Wednesday called for strengthening the polio programme and making more efforts aimed at disease eradication due to rising cases in the country. "The ongoing outbreak is alarming, with six children already paralyzed in 2025," she said while chairing a meeting of the National Polio Management Team (NPMT) to assess progress, address emerging challenges, and refine strategies for the upcoming nationwide immunisation campaigns scheduled to take place in April and May. "We must remain vigilant, proactive, and committed to refining our approaches to stay ahead of the virus," she added while emphasizing the urgency of the moment. The meeting brought together national and provincial coordinators, core group members, and key stakeholders. The meeting reinforced the importance of gender-inclusive workforce participation, the synergy between Essential Immunization and Polio Eradication efforts, and adherence to the latest Technical Advisory Group (TAG) recommendations.
