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PM chairs high level meeting on polio virus across country

PM chairs high level meeting on polio virus across country
August 21, 2019
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan chaired a high level meeting on Wednesday (today) to review the critical situation in across country after the outbreak of polio virus. The meeting was briefed about the steps taken by the provinces to eradicate the polio virus. The meeting attended amongst others by Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Ministers and Balochistan and the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Sindh. Representatives of Bill and Melinda Gates, World Health Organization and the UNICEF also attended the meeting. The federal health minister and heads of international organizations also attended the meeting to discuss the situation of poliovirus outbreak in the region. It is noteworthy that polio cases this year have already exceeded the total numbers of previous three years. Despite government’s anti-polio measures, 53 cases have been reported across the country with 41 patients from KP, 5 from Punjab, 4 from Balochistan and 3 from Sindh. On Aug 18, Bannu traders have put their kids’ lives at risk by refusing to administer polio drops against the enforcement of heavy government taxes. According to the details garnered, the traders in Bannu divided into groups. One of the traders group boycott polio campaign against heavy taxes. Markazi Anjuman Tajran Bannu President Saleem Rehman, confirming the decision of boycotting the anti-polio vaccination campaign, said our kids are already dying due to economic massacre and heavy taxes imposed by government.
New polio cases in Balochistan, KP raise alarm for government
Earlier, four new polio cases have surfaced in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) and Balochistan. According to reports, an eight-month-old infant has been detected with polio virus in Jaffarabad while a nine-month-old female child has been traced with the polio virus in Qilla Abdullah areas of Balochistan. In KP, both police cases have been reported in Bannu district. Five new cases of polio had been reported in two KP districts in a single day on July 13. According to the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC), three cases were reported from Bannu district while two others have been found in Torghar.