Pakistan committed to eradicate polio disease from the country: Nafees Zakaria

LONDON, Mar 12 (APP):Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK),Mohammad Nafees Zakaria has said that Pakistan was committed to eradicating the crippling Polio disease from the country with the support of partners like Rotary International.

He said this while addressing a big gathering of a reception hosted in the honour of Mark Maloney,President of Rotary International here at the premises of High Commission on Wednesday evening.

The event was organized by Pakistan High Commission London in collaboration with World Congress of Overseas Pakistanis (WCOP) to
recognize and acknowledge the services of Rotary International for eradication of Polio from the world including Pakistan.

Those spoke on the occasion among others included,President of Rotary International Mark Maloney, Senior Health Advisor, DFID UK Ms.Susan Elden, National Chair ,Pakistan Polio Plus Committee, Aziz Memon,Chairman WCOP Syed Qamar Raza, and Executive Director COWP Arif Anis Malik.

The ceremony was attended by Councillors, Diplomats, British Pakistani diaspora, members of British Conservative friends of Pakistan,health experts and members of Rotary International and WCOP.

Speaking on the occasion , and welcoming the participants ,Mohammad Nafees Zakaria appreciated the conservative friends of Pakistan for their role in putting together this gathering and the assistance they have extended to the High Commission.

The High Commissioner said “We live in times of unthinkable technological advancements creating a whole new set of opportunities for the mankind to prosper” .

He added that rapidly expanding prosperity has allowed mass movement of individuals across the national borders.

He said that yet these advantages had led to challenges in the form of globalization of diseases across a whole new range of geographical space.

“With the global attention focused towards the spread of Corona virus,I am highly grateful to all of you and acknowledge the efforts of our international partners in eradication of Polio from Pakistan”, he remarked.

Mohammad Nafees Zakaria,highlighting the efforts of the government of Pakistan for the eradication of polio, said that the government was fully alive to the challenges posed by this crippling disease from the country.

“Government’s Polio Eradication Programme has been fighting to end this disease from the country”, he remarked.

Nafees Zakaria informed the audience that this programme was driven by up to 260,000 polio vaccinators ,the largest health service provider network of its kind in the world.

“Array of approaches and tools are implemented by the government of Pakistan reach the finish line of the zero polio cases”, he remarked.

He further said that these approaches and tools were outlined in the National Polio Eradication Programme (NPEP) with specific objectives,targets milestones and indicators that guide the programme to its goals of zero-polio.

The High Commissioner further said that the programme’s senior official reports directly to the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

He also informed the gathering that due to sustained vaccination drives there has been a significant decline in polio cases in Pakistan from reportedly approximately 20,000 every year in the early 1990s to only 146 cases in 2019.

“Sustained campaign and vaccination is expected to bring down the number to zero”, he remarked.

Nafees Zakaria said that government was ensuring children aged five were vaccinated against this disease in every door to door campaign.

He also informed that given the frequent population movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan ,the programme was also focused on the fully synchronizing and coordinating its operations with the Afghan polio eradication programme.

Nafees Zakaria on the occasion appreciated the support extended to Pakistan by its international partners in this fight against Polio, including Rotary International :GVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) United Nations Foundation and Bill Gates and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“A Polio free Pakistan and Afghanistan means a Polio free world”, he remarked.He quoting World Health Organization (WHO) said “the eradication of Polio would save at least US $ 40-50 billion , mostly in low income countries.And the humanitarian benefits would be sustained for the future generations and no child would ever again be affected by this terrible disease”.

Speaking on the occasion Aziz Memon said that present government in Pakistan was focusing on the eradication of polio from the country,
besides providing better health, education and other basic amenities of
life to improve quality of life of the people in the country.

He added that for eradication of polio disease door to door campaign was being undertaken with the support of armed forces to achieve the objective.

He appreciated the role and support of Rotary International to Pakistan’s efforts and programmes for eliminating polio disease from the country.

In her remarks Senior Health Advisor, DFID UK Ms.Susan Elden said that UK has allocated £ 400 million for a global strategy to fight diseases like polio.

She assured Pakistan for working closely in its efforts to eradicate polio from the country.

In their remarks Syed Qamar Raza and Arif Anis Malik of WCOP appreciated the efforts and joint collaboration of Rotary International and Government of Pakistan for the eradication of Polio from the country.

Arif Anis expressed the hope if this effort continued Pakistan would become a polio free country in two to three years in the world.

Speaking on the occasion, President Rotary International Mark Maloney thanked Pakistan High Commissioner to United Kingdom Mohammad Nafees Zakaria for hosting a reception for him.

He reiterated his commitment and global effort to work and fight against polio across the world including Pakistan till its eradication.

“We are committed to vaccinating all children from the world”, he remarked.

He also highlighted his global efforts for the eradication of polio from the globe”.

He said that Rotary International has raised US $ 2.1 billion to eradicate the disease from the globe.

The President Rotary International Mark Maloney appreciated Pakistan for its efforts and programmes for the eradication of Polio from the country.