These efforts have included increasing staff numbers, ensuring stronger accountability for polio eradication efforts at Union Council-level, systematically engaging local and religious leadership and ensuring ownership of the initiative at national and provincial/agency levels. However, the progress is fragile, the number of cases is slowly increasing, particularly in key areas, such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the FederallyAdministered Tribal Area. Sewage sampling shows that the poliovirus continues to circulate widely.
Dr Alwan participated in the meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication, which was chaired by the Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The objectives of the meeting were to examine the current status of polio eradication in the country, taking into consideration the operational and security context, and issue recommendations for the coming period.
