12th case of polio virus reported from Waziristan

Yet another case of the polio virus has been confirmed in North Waziristan District, taking the number of cases of the virus reported from the tribal area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in recent weeks to 12, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday. 

Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel, on the other hand, has said that the southern and northern parts of KP have already been declared ‘sensitive’ and efforts are being made on a war footing to stamp out the virus. 

He has further said that a well-coordinated and an effective strategy has been chalked out to eliminate the virus. “For instance, the government has launched several anti-polio campaigns recently to prevent the spread of the disease,” he has informed.   

“The present government will not relent until and unless it eradicates the crippling disease, and we want to make sure that we reach out to maximum number of children,” he has vowed. 

At the same time, however, the minister has also claimed reasonable progress in ‘war against polio’.  

Emphasizing that children are entitled to a healthy and a secure future, Patel has also urged parents to realize gravity of the situation, let the polio workers inside their homes and ensure the vaccination of their little ones.   

Similarly, Federal Health Secretary Muhammad Fakhare Alam has also appealed to parents to get their children vaccinated against the virus.  

Reporter: Syed Kifayat Ali Shah