ISLAMABAD: The current humanitarian crisis in the country has affected at least 16 million children. In these times, it is more crucial than ever to protect them from the risk of lifelong paralysis caused by polio.

This was pointed out by Minister for National Health Services (NHS) Abdul Qadir Patel in the capital. Partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and Donors met in Islamabad to assess the needs of the Pakistan Polio Programme and discuss the path forward to prevent the disease from spreading further.

Representatives from donor countries reaffirmed their commitment and said it was because of years of support to global polio eradication efforts that the world is now over 99pc polio-free. More efforts need to be made for Pakistan and Afghanistan to make the final push and eliminate the disease from the world.

This year, polio endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, have had 22 children paralysed by wild polio. In Pakistan, 17 polio cases have been reported from North Waziristan alone, with the last case reportedly being a 10-month boy as per the National Institute of Health.