World polio watchdog praises Pakistan for containing polio

ISLAMABAD – A Pakistani health official says the world polio watchdog has acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate the crippling disease by December 2017.

Dr. Rana Safdar co-ordinates the country’s efforts to fight polio. He said Friday the International Monitoring Board of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative released a report Thursday saying that just two new polio cases have been reported in Pakistan since January in 2017. As many as 20 such cases were reported during the same period in 2016.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only three countries left in the world where polio has not been eliminated.

Pakistan will launch new anti-polio drives in July despite threats from the Taliban who perceive the campaign as part of a Western conspiracy to sterilize Pakistani children.