Failure is not an option, Ayesha assures as TAG reviews progress in anti-polio fight

Islamabad

As the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) met in Islamabad Tuesday to deliberate on efforts to stop transmission of poliovirus in Pakistan, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq assured polio eradication experts that failure is not as option.

TAG members listened to detailed analyses by the federal and provincial Emergency Operations Centre coordinators on the progress made, opportunities, and the remaining challenges towards achieving the ultimate goal of eradication.

Ayesha briefed the meeting about the implementation of the National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) in the past year. “We as partners are now deeply intertwined as we push towards zero. We will succeed or fail together, but failure is not an option. Pakistan will remain committed to achieving our collective goal of polio eradication and we thank all our partners for their technical, financial and political support as we approach a significant milestone in global health,” she said.

Earlier in his opening remarks, secretary health Muhammad Ayub Sheikh said, “Substantial progress has been made this year evidenced by a continued sharp decline in recorded polio cases and increasing number of negative environmental samples across Pakistan. This progress has been built on a very solid foundation of political commitment, strengthened programme performance and community acceptance. We remain on track to interrupt transmission and are fully aware of the remaining challenges and the appropriate strategies and plans to overcome these obstacles.”

The TAG meeting brought together polio eradication experts from the government of Pakistan, lead implementing partners including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), senior representatives from across the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and representatives of key donor countries.

The National Coordinator of Emergency Operations Centre Dr. Rana Safdar emphasised that the programme seeks to build on the momentum of last year as it enters what is hoped to be the last low-transmission season.

WHO Representative Michel Thieren said, “It is imperative that all efforts be made, not only at technical and operational levels, but also at political and administrative levels, to redress those pockets of failure, which will seriously hamper our capacity to win this last battle.”

Unicef Representative Angela Kearney, said, “Unicef remains fully committed to play its role as a GPEI partner, and all efforts will be made to support front-line workers, and their immediate supervisors, who have knocked on doors and vaccinated almost 300 million children during the past campaign season. But there remain areas where we can and must do better -- the effective deployment of local, female, well-trained, supervised and motivated staff on the doorstep targeting zero missed children remains the critical determinant of success,” Kearney said.

Chair of the International PolioPlus Committee Michael K. McGovern, said Rotary International remains committed to the pursuit of this major public health milestone for both Pakistan and the world. “We have been involved in the polio eradication mission for a long time. We will continue to work with the government of Pakistan and all partners to see that polio transmission stops in Pakistan this year,” he added.