A 2-day meeting of Health Officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan was held rencetly in Islamabad to discuss common strategies to prevent cross-border transmission of polio virus.
During the meeting, it was briefed that more than 1.9 million children were vaccinated on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border during previous polio campaigns. The health authorities of both the countries are working closely with regard to sharing of information and special investigation of polio cases.
The Afghan delegation was led by the Director General of Public Health Dr. Taufeeq Mashal. The meeting was attended by the Prof. Rashid Jooma, Director General Health Ministry of Health, Islamabad; Dr. Khalif Bile, WHO Representative in Pakistan; Dr. Altaf Bosan, National Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI); Prof. Tariq Bhutta, Chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on EPI, Dr. Wahdan and Mr. Chris Maher from WHO; Savita Naqvi of UNICEF also present on the occasion.
Dr. Taufeeq Mashal said there was a need for enhanced collaboration between the two countries in view of the specific challenges in the border areas including security and access issues. He said the meeting provided a platform to devise joint strategies to tackle the problem of cross border transmission of the polio virus. Dr. Bile advocated an institutionalized approach to the whole cross border issue. He said health can be a wonderful diplomatic channel.
Earlier, Dr. Altaf Bosan, while welcoming the Afghanistan delegation, said there was excellent collaboration between polio authorities of both the countries and the visit of the Afghan delegation to help further strengthen this partnership in the interest of children of both the countries. He dwelt at length on the steps taken so far to restrict cross border transmission of the polio virus. He said, “We need to consider Pakistan and Afghanistan as one block when it comes to fighting polio.”
Dr. Bosan said both Pakistan and Afghanistan were one of the few countries of the world harboring the polio virus. “Our issues and the challenges are the same and thus their solutions are similar,” he remarked emphasising close collaboration between the health authorities of both the countries.
Eminent pediatrician and chairman of National Technical Advisory Group on polio, Dr. Tariq Bhutta said “These were challenging times for both countries” and the need for continues communication and collaboration was more than ever before so that populations residing alongside the borders and those crossing over from both sides are protected from the scourge of polio.