More women in leadership roles required to eradicate polio: CMFP

LAHORE: Chief Minister’s Focal Person on polio Ms Uzma Kardar has emphasized on promoting women as leaders in polio eradication, saying females in leadership roles could ensure access of polio teams in every household.
The CMFP was addressing polio supervisors during one of the ongoing polio supervisors training sessions organized by the Lahore District Health Management Team at Women College Wahdat Road.
During the visit the CMFP held in depth discussions with the polio supervisors, probing them about their issues and the problems facing the programme in polio eradication.
The CMFP Ms Uzma conversed with the supervisors undergoing training in four batches in the college separately, seeking their ideas to improve their working conditions.
The CMFP emphasized on greater sense of responsibility towards the cause of polio eradication by the polio human force.
She reiterated government resolve to eradicate polio and noted that the CM Punjab Ms Mariam Nawaz had specifically sent her over to the workers so that she could brief the CM on the obstacles in polio eradication.
Ms Kardar assured the polio workers that they would be provided every support to improve their working conditions, but the workers needed to focus on delivering the results.
“The entire partner staff as well as government health department officials are present in the training sessions to ensure that you are provided up to date knowledge and there is no gap in coordination during the upcoming polio eradication campaign. But the workers need to give in their 100 per cent”, stressed the CMFP.
Ms Kardar noted with concern that percentage of government accountable persons in polio teams was low. He urged the district team to focus on working with the allied government departments so that government workers in polio human resource could be increased.
The CMFP also emphasized on improving the quality of trainings through a dedicated pool of trainers.
She recalled that Pakistan and Afghanistan were the last two polio endemic countries on the globe, emphasizing on increased coordination between the two neighbourly countries so that virus could find no space to circulate.
Punjab has planned a special polio eradication campaign starting from next month on September 9 in 15 districts targeting 13.9 million children.
Districts include Attock, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Chakwal, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Okara, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi, RY Khan and Sheikhupura.
Preparations are under way in all the districts to implement the campaign successfully by drawing up local level operational and communication plans.