Officials and health workers in Pakistan are gearing up for a nationwide vaccination drive to eradicate polio as the country faces a resurgence of cases.
The campaign is scheduled to begin on Oct. 28. However, violence targeting health workers and the police protecting them continues to hinder efforts to eradicate the disease.
"The World Polio Day is a reminder for us to see the great and recognize the great sacrifices that have been made by polio workers, and I would like to use this day to recognize our real heroes, who are our front-line polio workers as well as the security personnel," said Ayesha Raza Farooq, Pakistani Prime Minister's Focal Person for Polio Eradication.
Pakistan has reported 39 new polio cases since January, a sharp increase from just six cases last year.
The upcoming nationwide campaign aims to vaccinate children in a renewed push to make Pakistan polio-free.
"We are very hopeful that through these campaigns, we are hoping to reach every child below the age of five in Pakistan, approximately 45 million children in the national campaign, then we should be in a good position to reverse the current epidemiology that we see, by the end of this year," said Farooq.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last two countries where polio remains endemic. Pakistani health officials are urging both countries to synchronize their anti-polio efforts to curb the spread of the disease on both sides of the border.
Experts say renewed commitment, stronger vaccination drives and continued community engagement will be key to ensuring that future generations can live in a polio-free world.
Polio is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by poliovirus, which can infect a person's spinal cord, leading to paralysis.
Every year on Oct. 24, the World Polio Day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of polio vaccination to protect every child from this devastating disease and to celebrate the many parents, professionals, and volunteers whose contributions make polio eradication achievable.
Pakistan gears up for polio vaccination campaign to battle resurgence of cases
Authorities in China emphasized the need for smart technologies to improve airspace monitoring and management to promote the low-altitude economy, as revealed by officials at an aviation conference that kicked off on Friday in Beijing.
A three-day aviation conference was hosted by the China Air Transport Association (CATA).
At the event, officials of the Civil Aviation Administration of China said the administration has planned to leverage new technological innovations to integrate the flight service guarantee systems in a bid to ensure the smooth development of the low-altitude economy.
Hu Zhenjiang, deputy head of the administration, said that the global major aviation accident rate stands at 0.21 per million flights, indicating a relatively stable safety level.
However, as flight volumes continue to grow, achieving a lower accident rate will entail smart technologies to keep safety risks within acceptable limits, Hu said.
"We need to leverage the advantages of new technologies in precision, foresight and coordination to enhance our predictive capabilities for safety operations. We should strengthen the monitoring, control and management throughout the entire lifecycle of aircraft and significantly improve our emergency response capabilities and standards so as to promote high-quality development in the industry by ensuring high levels of safety," he said.
Hu also noted that ensuring safety in low-altitude flights is a world-class challenge.
With the exponential growth of low-altitude flight operations, it is essential to build new intelligent infrastructure, advanced support systems and regulatory frameworks to achieve effective monitoring, avoidance and control in low-altitude flight.
"The Civil Aviation Administration of China will encourage relevant departments to promote the integration of flight service guarantee systems with the help of technological innovations. This will efficiently link low-altitude flight elements such as route planning, airborne obstacle avoidance, airspace management and traffic control. The administration aims to explore the integration of manned and unmanned flights and gradually achieve the digitalization and intelligence of low-altitude mission execution, resource allocation and safety oversight, thereby ensuring the safe development of the low-altitude economy," Hu said.
China introduces tech-driven strategies to boost low-altitude economy and ensure safety
