News Desk |
Prime Minister Imran Khan met and praised the polio workers who courageously performed their duties in harsh weather conditions in northern areas of Pakistan. The polio workers braved the freezing temperatures and walked passed the four feet of snow to vaccinate the children of remote communities.
A few days back a video of a polio worker Irfan went viral on social media. Irfan trod the four feet of snow in Swat to perform his duty. His determination and courage caught the attention of people on social media. The premier hence hosted Irfan and other polio workers at Prime Minister House and sought their suggestions about how to keep the crippling disease at bay in Pakistan.
Not even icy waist-deep snow will stop this polio vaccinator from protecting the health of children in Pakistan.
We honour his tireless dedication – and the many other heroes doing whatever it takes to vaccinate children across the world.#VaccinesWorkpic.twitter.com/o63wqJE2Ru
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) January 29, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan also shared his picture with the polio workers on his Twitter account. He paid a rich tribute to Irfan. He tweeted, “Irfan is one of 260,000 heroes who reach out to children with polio vaccines in extreme weather conditions. His viral video has left every individual with a sense of awe & pride. This dedication is what will enable us to achieve our goal of a polio-free nation.”
Irfan is one of 260,000 heroes who reach out to children with polio vaccines in extreme weather conditions. His viral video has left every individual with a sense of awe & pride. This dedication is what will enable us to achieve our goal of a polio free nation #SalamPolioWorker pic.twitter.com/4wPBxIDUDz
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 31, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan lauds efforts of hardworking polio-workers who managed to fulfil their duty in snow-filled mountains of Swat. pic.twitter.com/l9UwuDO8UY
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) January 30, 2019
UNICEF also shared the picture of Irfan and praised the heroic act of other similar polio workers who risk their lives to perform their duty.
Pakistan's polio workers travel long distances to make sure that every child is protected from polio, no matter where they live in Pakistan.#Pakvspolio #ForEveryChild #RightToHealth #PakFightsPolio Photo via @pakfightspolio #VaccinesWork #PolioWorkers pic.twitter.com/BSINGV92IL
— UNICEF Pakistan (@UNICEF_Pakistan) January 27, 2019
In past, several polio workers have lost their lives in terror attacks. To deter the polio workers and obstruct the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan, terrorists targeted the polio workers in Karachi and particularly in remote areas of Pakistan.
Despite the terror threats, the polio teams along with law enforcement agencies have immensely curtailed the rate of polio cases in Pakistan.
Read more: Ray of hope: Pakistan’s journey towards a Polio-free country
The current polio drive in country has begun on January 21st. More than 39 million children under the age of five will receive two drops of the vaccine which will protect them against the polio virus. At least 260,000 polio workers and more than 31,000 teams are participating in the drive.