In a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children’s Rights, members of parliament proposed making polio vaccinations mandatory for issuing national identity cards, B forms, and passports.
Dr. Malik Mukhtar, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for National Health Services, addressed the meeting and highlighted the challenges faced in eradicating polio in Pakistan. He revealed that nine polio cases had been reported from a single union council in Dera Ismail Khan.
Dr. Nikhat Shakeel, the convener of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children’s Rights, called the rise in polio cases a national emergency.
She pointed out that despite the efforts of polio workers, who have even lost their lives in the line of duty, the country has still not been able to eliminate polio after three decades.
The importance of involving local leaders and scholars in the polio eradication campaign was also emphasized during the meeting. PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan stressed their vital role, while JUI’s Shahida Rehmani shared an example of Maulana Fazlur Rehman personally visiting homes in Lucky Marwat to vaccinate children during an outbreak.