Jun. 7, 2022

WHO EASTERN MEDITERREAN DIRECTOR OF POLIO , DR H. JAFARI SAYS ROTARY WORKS TO END POLIO GLOBALLY

The regional director for the World health Organization Eastern Mediterannean global fight against Polio , Dr Hamid Jafari was the keynote speaker at the Rotary International 2022 Convention in the city of Houston Texas .
During the Tuesday 6/7/2022 general session Polio discussion , Dr Jafari saluted Rotarians and their international organization for being in the forefront of the Global fight to eradicate Polio , a global health problem which has been almost 99 % eradicated with pockets of the global cases in only two countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan .
Dr. Fari said the local leadership in Pakistan and Afghanistan are politically committed to see their countries join the many others around the world who have made Polio history .
The director said the insurgent groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan have committed to cease fire , which will also facilitate the delivery of Polio vaccination resources .
Dr Fari and the WHO director General , Dr .Tedros and other team members have visited the countries concerned with the frontline international organization or Rotary International working to eliminate Polio globally .
In the discussion , it was said that Rotary International has contributed more than 2 billion dollars in the Global eradication initiative against Polio and continues to raise more money to eliminate Polio in the remaining countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan .
Dr. Fari and his UNICEF counterpart are working with the leadership of Rotary International to make Polio a thing of the past Globally .
Dr.Fari says the unique opportunity to stop Polio is now .
Dr . Hamid Jafari leads the polio eradication efforts in 22 Regional Member States that include , Afghanistan , and Pakistan , the two remaining polio endemic countries globally .
Until August 2019 , Dr Fari served as the Principal Deputy Director , Center for Global health , at the USA Centers for Disease control and prevention [CDC].
He was also the Director of the Global Polio Eradication Operations and Research at the World Health Organization Headquarters , Geneva and the overall leader of the GPEI [2012-2016] ; Project manager of the World health Organization,s National Surveillance Project in India [2007-2012 ] and the director of the Global immunization Division at the CDC [2004-2006].
Dr . Jafari completed his Pediatric infectious Disease fellowship at the University of Texas SouthWestern Medical center Dallas . He has published more than 100 scientific papers and book chapters on pathogenesis of infectious diseases , polio eradication and vaccine -preventable diseases and global health security .
by
Dr. Ntuba Akwo Thompson