NWFP to involve media, religious institutions in anti-polio drive
PESHAWAR- North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Minister for Health Inayatullah Khan has said that media and religious institutions including mosques would be practically involved in the forth-coming polio eradication campaign to make it more effective and result-oriented.
Unlike previous governments, the present Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government does not believe in mere talks and tall claims but wants to achieve the desired target of making the Frontier province polio-free till 2003.
The provincial minister said while briefing the newsmen here at Peshawar Press Club on April 15, 2003 on the Polio Eradication drive to be commenced from April 15 to 17 in the province. He admitted that 2000 was the target to curb polio menace from Pakistan but due to inefficient planning, we could not meet the target and now the target is 2003 to make Pakistan polio-free country. He said that even Bangladesh and Afghanistan have shown much efficiency in this regard while China had overcome the polio disease within three rounds.
The number of polio cases in Pakistan has been reduced to 35 in 2002, from 419 cases reported during 1993, when polio eradication drive was launched in the country, he said adding that though in 2001 the number of polio cases was 31 which jumped to 35 last year.
Besides provincial Minister for Information Asif Iqbal Daudzai, representatives of World Health Organization (WHO) in NWFP, high ups of health and information departments were also present on the occasion.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:4/15/2003
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
