Public Administration News
Share
 |
Pakistan Committed to MDGs on Health |
| Source: |
dailytimes.com.pk |
| Source Date: |
Thursday, March 22, 2012 |
| Focus: |
ICT for MDGs
|
| Country: |
Pakistan |
| Created: |
Mar 26, 2012 |
|
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said polio eradication was amongst the top priorities of the government in the health sector. Talking to chair of Rotary's International Polio Plus Committee, Dr Robert Scott, at the Presidency, the president said Pakistan was fully committed to achieving 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 Benazir Bhutto in 1994, beginning the drive by vaccinating her own daughter. Today, he said, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the first child to be immunised against polio in the country, was carrying forward this mission as ambassador for polio eradication in Pakistan. The president said the government in January launched the Augmented National Emergency Action Plan for polio eradication that focused 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 district management officers and health officers had been instructed to ensure that everyone benefited from the vaccination campaigns. 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 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and the FATA health authorities were working closely with the armed forces to provide security and access to the polio teams. He said the government was encouraging participation of all stakeholders, including media, religious teachers and civil society organisations for the success of the initiatives against polio.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Rate: |
0 ratings
|
Views: |
77 |
| Comments: |
0 |
Favorited: |
0 |
Bookmarked: |
0 |
Tagged: |
0 |
|
|
|
|