Millions reached through Mobilink’s participation in anti polio drive

Islamabad, April 14th 2009 - In a bid to reach maximum number of children with the vital oral polio vaccine (OPV), the Federal Health Authorities in association with Mobilink, Pakistan’s largest cellular service provider, launched an SMS broadcast to reach out to millions of parents in select high-risk zones across Pakistan.

As a Mobilink user, Federal Health Minister Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani received the 7 millionth SMS on his cell phone as he addressed the ceremony hosted by Mobilink. The Minister shared, “This is a land-mark initiative which will ensure more and more parents are reached through the joint venture.” He further added that the polio eradication fraternity was growing by the day as large organizations both from the corporate and the public sector were joining in to strengthen the fight against polio. The Minister appreciated the lead taken by Mobilink, the only telecom operator to have extended support to the drive.

The broadcasted SMS was also received by high officials from the Health Ministry including the Federal Secretary Health and Khushnood Akhter Lashari, the United Nations including Chief of Health, UNICEF, country representative of WHO during the ceremony.

“Mobilink is fully aware of its social responsibilities as a corporate citizen and is delighted to join hands with such eminent partners in saving innocent lives from the peril of this debilitating disease” said Rashid Khan, President and CEO Mobilink. Communication technology is a harbinger of social change and this drive which allows Mobilink to effectively deliver the message by capitalizing its strengths in terms of subscriber base, coverage and connectivity, is an excellent example, he added.

It may be worth mentioning here that after National Highways and Motorway Police and the National Database and Registration Authority, Mobilink is the third major organization of the country that has joined the fight against polio.

It may be recalled that the Prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, presiding over a special anti-polio meeting in February this year had called for all sectors of the country including the telecom sector to join hands in tackling with the poliovirus.

Speaking on the occasion, Ibrahim El Ziq, Chief of Health UNICEF referred to the initiative as exemplary calling on other such organizations to follow suit. “This was a fast expanding anti-polio fraternity which dreams of a Pakistan where no child ever shall be crippled by a disease that cannot be cured”. He said.

Dr. Khalif Bile of the WHO made special mention of the letter that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon had written to the President, Asif Ali Zardari calling for redoubling efforts towards a polio free Pakistan.

Pakistan is one of the last four polio endemic countries of the world and together with Afghanistan and India represents the final frontier in the quest for a polio free world.