Pakistan’s fight against polio: Challenges and policy options
Feb 17
03:00PM to 5:00PM
SDPI conference hall, 4th floor, Taimur Chambers, Fazal-ul-Haq Road, Blue Area, Islamabad
The global immunization campaign has made the world polio free except Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Pakistan has made significant efforts to eradicate polio yet new cases of polio regularly make news. Polio or poliomyelitis is a viral infectious disease which severely causes disability, nerve injury leading to death in most cases. This disease is three serotype which is transmitted through fecal-oral and oral-oral routes.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched in 1988 with the collaboration of other partners including WHO (World Health Organization), UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Education Fund) and the United States centers for disease control and prevention. The GPEI has reduced more than 99% polio incidence in 125 countries. Whereas it is preventable condition but still Pakistan is reporting polio incidences every year. According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, in the year of 2019, a total of 144 polio cases were reported, as compared to 12 cases in 2018 and only eight cases in 2017, which is quite alarming.
It is in this context, SDPI is organising a seminar titled “Pakistan’s fight against polio: Challenges and policy options” to further understand the factors that are causing polio incidences in Pakistan and provide relevant policy recommendations to the government.
Welcome Remarks
Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI
Chair of the Panel
Dr. Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination
Panellists
- Maj. Gen. Dr. Aamer Ikram, Executive Director, National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad
- Dr. Rana Muhamad Safdar, National Program Manager (NPM), Federal Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)
- Representative of World Health Organisation (WHO), Pakistan Office
- Representative of UNICEF Pakistan Office
Moderator
- Dr. Imran S. Khalid, Research Fellow, SDPI
SDPI cordially invites you to participate in this special seminar.
The programme will be live streamed at www.sdpi.tv/live.php