Dr. Shahzad Baig, Nationwide Coordinator of the Anti-Polio Program in Pakistan, was once lately named in Time mag’s record of 100 Maximum Influential Other folks, who describe him as a ‘results of the laborious paintings of frontline polio well being employees’.
Unbiased Urdu held a different assembly with him on this regard, all over which an in depth dialogue was once held at the polio program.
Dr Shahzad Baig mentioned that his identify on this record is a supply of happiness for him, his circle of relatives and the rustic as he’s the one Pakistani to be incorporated on this record.
In line with Dr. Shahzad, he didn’t even dream that he would get this honor, but if he won an electronic mail from the establishment, he felt it was once a shaggy dog story, which he didn’t take critically. Alternatively, when it was once introduced, he was once positive that his identify was once incorporated within the Time 100 record.
How did you get into the well being box? To this query, Dr. Shahzad mentioned that after he got here to review public well being from the College of New South Wales in Australia, he joined the WHO polio program in Pakistan after which went to Nigeria. After operating on polio for 13 years in Nigeria, when it was once declared polio-free, he considered coming to Pakistan since the two international locations had been dealing with equivalent demanding situations.
On his go back to Pakistan, Dr. Shehzad joined the polio program in 2021 as head. He has been operating on polio for the previous 21 years.
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In line with Dr. Shehzad, the most important problem for him is to get rid of polio from Pakistan. ‘If polio will also be eliminated from Nigeria, it’s imaginable in Pakistan too.’
Are the measures being taken to get rid of polio enough?’ To this query, he responded that he would now not use the phrase ‘sufficient’ however those steps are in the fitting route. If the polio program is 98 and even 99 p.c a success, the phrase ‘failure’ is related to it. Additionally it is vital to notice that obtaining the ultimate one p.c isn’t simple.
Additionally, he mentioned that if his identify is incorporated within the Time 100 record, it implies that this system is a success.
When requested about the cause of now not removing polio from the rustic, Dr. Shahzad mentioned that two goals were set this yr. The primary was once the removal of endemic virus and no endemic virus was once detected in circumstances or environmental samples since November 15, 2023. The second one purpose isn’t to have viruses from out of the country within the nation. Except Pakistan, Afghanistan is the one nation the place polio virus is provide and it’s also our neighboring nation. His presence was once ultimate recognized in December ultimate yr.
Dr Shahzad mentioned: ‘Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta are the 3 towns from which the presence of polio virus within the environmental samples may now not be eradicated. Our purpose is to complete it by way of the top of December, we can end it. From the yr 2025, 0 Polio will get started the adventure to Pakistan in order that we will be able to be declared polio loose in December.
He emphasised that extra consideration must be paid to the districts situated alongside the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Everybody there will have to be vaccinated. All individuals will have to be vaccinated to go into Pakistan at 12 access issues, together with Chaman and Torkham.
He mentioned that individuals going to Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar from those 12 spaces will have to focal point on their commute routes in order that they may be able to be vaccinated. Those are the people who find themselves bringing the virus.
Dr. Shahzad Baig mentioned that some of the environmental samples from around the nation, the best possible collection of polio virus samples are coming from Karachi. After Karachi, Peshawar whilst Quetta block (Chaman, Pashin, Qila Abdullah) is at the 3rd position.
He mentioned that at one time it was once believed that if the polio virus can be eliminated from Pakistan, it might even be eliminated from Afghanistan, however this isn’t true.
In line with Dr. Shahzad Baig: “There will likely be a ‘well being discussion’ between Pakistan and Afghanistan by which Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates may even play a task in order that each international locations sit down in combination at the well being time table.”
“The method of well being discussion has began on behalf of Pakistan and it’s anticipated to carry a well being discussion in September this yr.”
At the query of the polio program being affected after the hot tensions in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Dr. Shahzad Baig mentioned that this case has now not affected the polio program since the cooperation on it is equal to sooner than.
When requested about assaults on polio well being employees, he mentioned, “That is the process of the regulation enforcement companies, however their company supplies monetary improve to employees who’re injured or killed.”
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