Technology
Anti-polio drive to commence in Punjab from 13th
The Punjab government will launch national anti-polio campaign across the province from October 13.
The campaign will run for seven days in Lahore and for five days in all other districts.
A meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Polio Eradication was held at the Civil Secretariat here on Thursday. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir, Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Chief Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Uzma Kardar, secretaries of the health, home, and education departments, and representatives of international partners working on polio eradication attended the meeting while all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated via video link.
The task force expressed serious concern over the presence of poliovirus in environmental samples from Lahore. As a result, it was decided that a special anti-polio campaign would be conducted in 122 union councils of the district in November. It also issued necessary instructions for provision of security for polio teams operating in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Mianwali.
Speaking at the meeting, Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said that despite significant progress in polio eradication efforts in Punjab, the continued presence of virus poses a serious risk. He added: “It is absolutely critical that every child is vaccinated to halt its transmission.” He also stressed the importance of focusing on ‘missed children’ – those who are left unvaccinated during the campaign.
The Chief Secretary directed the deputy commissioners to ensure special arrangements for vaccinating children in flood-affected areas, and to deploy dedicated teams at inter-provincial borders and transit points to vaccinate mobile populations to help prevent the spread of the virus. “By addressing operational gaps and strengthening coordination, we can achieve complete eradication of the poliovirus in Punjab,” the Chief Secretary emphasized.
Adeel Tasawur, the head of the Punjab Polio Eradication Program, gave a detailed briefing during the meeting. He stated that more than 22.5 million children across Punjab would be administered polio vaccine during the campaign, with 200,000 polio workers performing duties.
The Punjab government will launch national anti-polio campaign across the province from October 13.
The campaign will run for seven days in Lahore and for five days in all other districts.
A meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Polio Eradication was held at the Civil Secretariat here on Thursday. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir, Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Chief Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Uzma Kardar, secretaries of the health, home, and education departments, and representatives of international partners working on polio eradication attended the meeting while all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated via video link.
The task force expressed serious concern over the presence of poliovirus in environmental samples from Lahore. As a result, it was decided that a special anti-polio campaign would be conducted in 122 union councils of the district in November. It also issued necessary instructions for provision of security for polio teams operating in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Mianwali.
Speaking at the meeting, Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said that despite significant progress in polio eradication efforts in Punjab, the continued presence of virus poses a serious risk. He added: “It is absolutely critical that every child is vaccinated to halt its transmission.” He also stressed the importance of focusing on ‘missed children’ – those who are left unvaccinated during the campaign.
The Chief Secretary directed the deputy commissioners to ensure special arrangements for vaccinating children in flood-affected areas, and to deploy dedicated teams at inter-provincial borders and transit points to vaccinate mobile populations to help prevent the spread of the virus. “By addressing operational gaps and strengthening coordination, we can achieve complete eradication of the poliovirus in Punjab,” the Chief Secretary emphasized.
Adeel Tasawur, the head of the Punjab Polio Eradication Program, gave a detailed briefing during the meeting. He stated that more than 22.5 million children across Punjab would be administered polio vaccine during the campaign, with 200,000 polio workers performing duties.
