ISLAMABAD – UNICEF Country Representative in Pakistan, Angela Kearney announced great news for Pakistan that polio would be eradicated from the country by the end of year 2016.
Talking to Radio Pakistan, Angela Kearny said that in 2014 there were 309 polio cases in Pakistan and the number has significantly reduced to 17 this year (2016).
She said in 2014, 500,000 children could not be accessed for giving polio drops, however, today this number has also been significantly dropped.
Kearney said that through coordinated and collaborative efforts of the international organisations and the government of Pakistan, polio would be eradicated by the end of 2016
High Commissioner of Canada to Pakistan, Perry John Calderwood speaking on the issue said that efforts should be made for the allocation of right resources for the development of the children.
It is relevant to mention that the year 2014 was worst for Pakistan as it recorded highest number of polio cases since 2002. Some travel restrictions were also imposed the same year.
On the other hand, India became polio free recently. A UN report in 2015 suggested that only Pakistan and Afghanistan were the states unable to eradicate polio.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan is the worst in terms of polio cases as scores of citizens deny poly drops to their kids for fear of sterilisation.
