Health experts call for constitution of task force on polio

Health experts here in a seminar called for the constitution of a task force comprising legislators of the provincial assembly and underscored their role in eradication polio from the province.
The seminar titled "critical need to improve immunisation and draft compulsory immunisation Bill" was held under the auspices of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Health in collaboration with Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency (Pildat) here at provincial assembly premises.
Speaker, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Kiramatullah Khan was the chief guest on the occasion. Other speaker were included Dr Pirkko Heinonen, a representative of Unicef, Director Health Services, Khyber-Pakhtunkwa, Dr Sajid Shaheen, Dr Janbaz Khan Afridi, Provincial Manager EPI programme.
Addressing the seminar Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Kirmatullah Khan Monday said the immunisation bill against fatal diseases would be table in upcoming session of the assembly, saying that it's a very essential legislation to be discussed. He said that special session of the assembly would be summoned to deliberate on the bill against fatal disease, saying that they are not contained the polio due to inaccessibility to the war-ravaged areas of the province.
The tribal areas are the worst suffered from polio as most of cases have been reported from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), he observed. The militancy and terrorism is the biggest hurdles before reaching the target children during the polio eradication campaign, he added.
Speaker Kirmatullah highlighted the significance and importance of polio vaccine, saying the administering of vaccine is the best way to make society free from fatal diseases. He reiterated the government had taken numbers of initiatives to eradicate polio and other fatal disease from the country. President Asif Ali Zardari had launched a special programme under which 2011 is being observed as the year of polio eradication in the country, he recalled.
The speaker underscored the role of religious scholars and parliamentarians in elimination of polio and other deadly diseases in the province. About the suggestion of health experts to form a task force, he said that the provincial assembly standing committee on health would carryout responsibility.
He expressed deep concern over multiple ratio of polio in Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Despite carrying massive eradication campaign, he observed the region is still fighting against the fatal diseases. Speaking on the occasion, health experts identified militancy and extremism are the biggest hurdles in the eradication of polio as most of cases are reported from the war-hit and volatile areas of the province.
They stressed the need for solution of inaccessibility and refusal cases saying that the clerics and parliamentarians role is vital in this regard. Dr Pirkko Heinonen, a representative of Unicef, in his speech said that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and FATA is the most vulnerable, because of various factors. The International donors agencies have committed to purge of the menace all over the world under globe program against fatal disease, she said. She explained that the Unicef has engaged WHO backed assistance and other donor agencies make Pakistan free of polio and set target to end the menace by end of this year.