Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that the anti-polio campaign will begin in all 36 districts of Punjab from May 23 till May 25.
He said that the campaign will be held as a part of the National Immunisation Day (NID) and will target 18.4 million children, aged below five, in 3,550 union councils of the province. He further said that directives have been issued to the provincial Emergency Operation Center to coordinate with districts and ensure complete preparations that include micro planning, meetings of district management, vaccine supply and mapping of population at greater risk to polio virus.
Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan Khan said that the polio has been declared a national emergency and respective DCOs are leading polio eradication efforts at district level. “The complete ownership by district management under the leadership of DCOs has been pivotal in ensuring Punjab’s better results in polio eradication,” he said.
He said that over 43,000 teams have been constituted for the campaign, including more than 36,000 mobile teams and 4,340 fixed sites. Khan also directed the staff to ensure preparatory activities in line with the National Emergency Plan for polio eradication.
Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed said: “We have analysed the results of three campaigns and identified weak union councils needing major improvement. The executive district officers of these districts have been directed to especially monitor these union councils,” he said.
“The movement of the population at inter-provincial borders, especially from the areas having polio virus circulation, is also under special focus,” the DG Health said. “Southern districts in general will be monitored as part of larger central Pakistan strategy. For this, coordination with districts bordering other provinces has been made for integrated efforts,” he further said.