The fifth meeting of the Regional Subcommittee on Polio Eradication and Outbreaks was convened on Tuesday by WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari.

Addressing the forum, Federal Health Minister Qadir Patel, said: “Pakistan’s Polio Programme continues to work extremely hard to reach zero polio, and the recent cases in Pakistan have made us more determined to fight this virus till the very end. Since the first case appeared, the health ministry and the polio programme have been working very closely together to meet the needs of the hour and effectively interrupt poliovirus transmission.”

The last two polio endemic countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan, have reported 11 wild polio cases this year, with 10 cases in Pakistan and one in Afghanistan. All of Pakistan’s cases have appeared in district North Waziristan.