Anti-polio drive to commence in eight districts tomorrow
LAHORE: The Punjab government would hold polio campaign in eight districts, including the provincial capital, from tomorrow (Wednesday) as part of the Sub-National Immunisation Day. Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said that the campaign would target around 5.9 million children of below five years of age in Lahore, […]
LAHORE: The Punjab government would hold polio campaign in eight districts, including the provincial capital, from tomorrow (Wednesday) as part of the Sub-National Immunisation Day.
Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique said that the campaign would target around 5.9 million children of below five years of age in Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Sheikhupura. He said the Punjab government would make all out efforts to achieve maximum coverage in these districts.
The advisor said coordination with districts have been made to ensure complete preparations that include micro planning, meetings of district management, vaccine supply and mapping of population at greater risk to poliovirus.
Rafique informed that a total of 15,212 teams (mobile, fixed, transit), would administer polio drops to children. He said the three-day campaign would be held in 806 union councils of the eight districts, adding that although Punjab has had no polio cases in this year, the environmental samples have been positive on and off, which shows further need to immunise children from the deadly disease.
Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan Khan directed the staff to ensure implementation of pre-campaign activities in line with the National Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication.
Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed said that the districts have been selected on the basis of environmental samples and risk factors related to population movement patterns from areas having virus circulation. “The movement of the population at inter-provincial borders, especially from the areas having poliovirus circulation, is also under special focus,” he added.
