(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Doha: The State of Qatar participated in the seventh meeting of the Regional Subcommittee on Polio Eradication and Outbreaks, at the WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, which was held virtually.
Qatar's delegation to the meeting was headed by HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health and co-chair of the Committee.
In her speech at the opening of the meeting, HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari affirmed the importance of strengthening international cooperation to eradicate polio, explaining that 'the presence of polio anywhere is a risk to children everywhere.'
'Despite the optimistic developments on polio eradication efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where polio is still endemic, we have seen some disappointing setbacks, including the continued transmission of poliovirus in Yemen, and its ability to spread across borders,' Her Excellency added.
HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari renewed the call on all concerned parties to exert every effort and provide the necessary funding, advocacy and technical expertise to eradicate the disease completely and start the polio-free life we have all dreamt of for so long.
The meeting of the Regional Subcommittee on Polio Eradication and Outbreaks reviewed several key topics, most notably regional developments on polio eradication, a report on the visit of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) leader to Pakistan last year, updates on the polio situation and response efforts in Pakistan, the input of the members of the Polio Surveillance Board and UNICEF Regional Directors and the Member States' contributions to polio eradication.
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