Pakistan fully committed to MDGs on health: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said polio eradication was amongst the top priorities of the government in health sector.

Talking to Chair of Rotary's International Polio Plus Committee Dr. Robert S. Scott here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President said Pakistan was fully committed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to the protection of mother and child health and reducing the infant, child and maternal mortality.

Zardari said he had himself written letters to all the governors and chief ministers recently urging them to personally oversee the polio eradication campaign and programme in order to ensure its effective implementation.

He said the initiative to eradicate polio was launched by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in 1994 beginning the drive by vaccinating her own daughter.

Today, he said, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the first child to be immunized against polio in the country, was carrying forward this mission as Ambassador for Polio Eradication in Pakistan.

The President said the government in January 2012 launched the Augmented National Emergency Action Plan for Polio Eradication that focuses on greater ownership, oversight and accountability at the federal, provincial, district and union council levels.

He said efforts were being taken to ensure access in the areas where law and order situation hampered reach out to the eligible children.

He said the progress was being closely monitored and all the district management officers and health officers had been instructed to ensure that everyone was benefitted from the vaccination campaigns launched in their districts.

"We are pursuing zero tolerance policy as far as the performance and reach out aspects are concerned," the President said.

The President said there were some challenges in reaching out to the children in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) where the initiative received a setback as a result of the security situation in some of the areas.

He said the Governor of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and the health authorities in FATA were working closely with the armed forces to provide security and access to the polio teams.

He said these children were being taken care of through special polio vaccination points at Agency and district borders.

He said the government was encouraging participation of all stakeholders, including media, religious teachers and civil society organizations for the success of the initiatives against polio.

He said the flagship poverty alleviation programme of the government - the Benazir Income Support Programme, had also join hands with health authorities for the eradication of polio from the country.

Dr Robert S Scott, also the holder of Pakistan's Sitara-i- Khidmat Award, appreciated the steps taken by the government, especially the contribution of Aseefa Bhutto Zardari for eradication of polio in Pakistan.

Those who were present during the meeting included among others Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani; Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Sector and Prime Minister's focalperson on polio eradication Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Chairman Standing Committee on Defence and Member of National Task Force Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Secretary General Salman Faruqui and other senior officials.

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the meeting.