Karachi - 16 April, 2014: As the number of polio cases in Pakistan
reached 49 so far this year more partners come forward to protect the
children and rid Pakistan and the world of the menace of the this
debilitating disease.
To create an enabling environment for polio
eradication in Pakistan, ZonG and UNICEF signed today a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) on strengthening the use of mobile phone messages to
ensure more children are vaccinated during the polio campaign.
The
widespread usage and viability of cell phones across Pakistan provides
great opportunity to reach out to communities who are most at risk of
the disease. The mobile phone messages will specifically target polio
reservoirs to enhance knowledge and to help take informed decisions. The
initiative is unique in character within polio eradication efforts and
polio partnership in the health sector.
“Through our strategic
alliance with UNICEF, we want to make a positive impact in the life of
every Pakistani child. As one of the major communication facilitators of
Pakistan, ZonG underlines its commitment and responsibility to use its
technological innovations to spread awareness about polio and strengthen
families’ cooperation with the vaccination teams visiting their homes”,
said Dr. Fan Yunjun, Chairman & CEO, ZonG
“Our partnership
with ZonG will give the much needed impetus to the social mobilization
and awareness raising programmes in support of polio vaccination in the
virus circulation high risk areas.”, says Dan Rohrmann, UNICEF
Representative in Pakistan. “This support and collaboration could not
have come at a more critical time.
Pakistan is one of only three
countries in the world along with by Afghanistan and Nigeria where the
crippling disease remains endemic.