Polio eradication a common challenge: PM

Addressing a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication in Islamabad, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said called for redoubling of efforts for eradication of polio from the country.The Prime Minister said that Pakistan in among the three countries where polio still exists. Commending the overall progress made in the country in polio eradication with 16 cases reported so far this year as against 36 cases in the corresponding period last year, the Prime Minister said he was happy to note that there had been a progressive improvement in the polio campaign coverage which has shown a significant upward trend with 80 percent districts having over 95 percent coverage as against only 42 percent districts having over 95 percent coverage in December 2011.The meeting was attended among other by Governor and Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Balochistan, Health Minister from Sindh, Acting Prime Minister AJK and Chief Secretaries of Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan alongside Chief Commissioner Islamabad.