Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has intensified on-going preparations for the up-coming four days national immunization campaign starting in Islamabad from 23rd. In this regard, a high level coordination meeting co-chaired by the
Senator, Usman Saifullah and Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Amer Ali Ahmed reviewed the arrangements made for making the campaign more effective and successful. The meeting was attended by the officials of WHO, CDA, CADD, Federal Directorate of Education, representatives of private sector including Islamic International Medical College and DHO Islamabad Dr Azhar. The participants were informed that six days training of over 600 volunteers and teachers has been completed and WHO is also organizing one day training for the members of polio teams.
A total of 274 house to house, 34 fixed and 24 transit teams for rural areas were also imparted training besides CDA volunteers for urban areas. In all, 300 lady health workers and 200 nurses of PIMS are also participating in the anti-polio campaign.
CDA has also deployed 500 teams trained for the anti-polio drive. As many as 2,27,000 children would be targeted during the drive in Islamabad.
Special staff of Local Government, union councils and Revenue Department has also been assigned duties. It was informed that special arrangements for logistic and manpower support are in place and strict monitoring would be carried out through 12 areas in charges and 55 supervisors in rural areas including officials of WHO and independent monitors from private sector.
The students of Islamic International Medical College have also been involved for private monitoring of polio teams. Special arrangements for coverage of slum areas were also discussed and polio teams were assigned special duties.
It was informed that students of colleges and universities are also participating in this campaign to ensure effectiveness of this drive and improve public awareness. This is a pilot initiative and students of other universities will also be encouraged to participate and contribute in such healthy activities. The administration would also award special complementary certificates to all those students participating in this initiative.
World creativity and innovation week observed: World creativity and innovation week is observed every year on April 15-20 to promote unity through creativity among population across the world. World Creativity and Innovation Day was created for the purpose of awakening people’s imaginations to enrich their lives, both in business and as individuals, and it is celebrated in 46 different countries to promote unity through creativity. The day began in Canada in 2001, after it was reported that Canada was in a ‘creativity crisis’. As a result, Marci Segal, a believer in the importance of exercising creativity, called for a day for having fun and reviving innovation and creativity among the population, and in time, across the world. There are various ways that people can celebrate this day. One year in Markham, Ontario, a school wrote and produced a musical featuring seven creative principles of Leonardo da Vinci. Another year in Brussels, Belgium, people organized a number of creativity workshops throughout the day.
The main aim of this festival is to try and make the world a better place through creativity and innovative ideas. It is celebrated in different ways across the globe. In the Netherlands, one of the locations where the festival was originally held in 2002, the week is used to encourage creative approaches to public policy by organising creativity walks for civil servants and officers of NGOs.
World Creativity and Innovation day is a celebration of our ability to get new ideas, use imagination and make new decisions to make the world a better place and to make your place in the world better too.