Pak-Afghan officials hold meeting on polio
Pak-Afghan officials hold meeting on polio
Amjid Ali
Balochistan

QUETTA: An important meeting between Pak-Afghan health department officials held on Friday in the area of friendship gate near Pak-Afghan border regarding polio related issues.

QUETTA: An important meeting between Pak-Afghan health department officials held on Friday in the area of friendship gate near Pak-Afghan border regarding polio related issues.

In the meeting, on Pakistan side DHO Dr Abdul Rashid Shafiq, Area Coordinator WHO, Dr. Shamsullah, Daud Khan, Dr. Abdulah, Dr. Mohammad Raza, Dr. Shah Jahan, Yasir Shah and others were present while on Afghanistan side PPO, Dr Ubaidulah, DHO Dr. Javid, Dr Baseer, Dr Barli, Dr Abdul Jalil, Kamaluddin, Abdul Wahab, Dr. Asad, Abdul Rahim, Polio coordinator and others participated.

In the meeting it was emphasized to have joint effort against the polio eradication in the border regions.

To make a mechanism was also under consideration for the tribes hailing from the both side which would have separate teams from the both sides as well.

During the meeting, Area Coordinator Dr Shamsullah while discussing the fault said that polio teams from all sides will reach the zero line of border and will administer polio drops to all the children in their area. Adding that,” the distributed villages were earlier operated by the Afghan polio teams and vaccinated the children, now those areas are in the boundary of Pakistan. Pakistani authorities will form their teams for the areas and will reach vaccine to the children.

Thus, the health officials of the both countries jointly agreed and endeavor to continue such cross-border meetings on both sides to end the polio eradication.

According to the Health Department sources in last six months four cases have been confirmed in Quetta block and southern Afghanistan.

The international organizations considered a global threat the Quetta block and southern Afghanistan region for polio.