Home »General News » Pakistan » WHO vows to support polio drive in Balochistan

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  • Dec 21st, 2012
  • Comments Off on WHO vows to support polio drive in Balochistan
World Health Organisation on Thursday vowed to support Balochistan government in its efforts to eradicate dreaded polio virus from the province. On the other hand, Balochistan government has announced to continue polio drive as per schedule in the affected districts.

Talking to APP the country polio co-ordinator of WHO in Pakistan Dr Nima Abid said that WHO teams working in Balochistan have no serious security issues; adding that we are committed to extend all-out assistance to the Balochistan government to end the crippling disease from the province. "A decision to start or halt the polio drive in any part of the country is that of government and WHO has nothing to do with it; he clarified and reiterated that WHO is ready to assist Balochistan government whenever asked as it has not received any threat so far there.

Nima, however, said that in the face of recent attacks on the polio teams in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces, WHO is holding meeting with Balochistan government to review the security arrangements and subsequently further chalk out plan of action.

Meanwhile, the provincial co-ordinator on polio and Additional Secretary Health Noorul Haq Baloch said that routine immunisation campaign in Balochistan is completed today (Thursday). Unlike Sindh and KPK, there are not such security issues to the polio teams in Balochistan, he said adding, however, the deputy commissioners of the polio-affected districts have been directed to review the security arrangements and come up with foolproof security plan.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2012


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