Polio campaign in selected nine districts started on Monday. The campaign is being held from 25 to 28 July 2016 in 411 union councils of the districts Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffar Garh (except Kot Addu), Layyah, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan (tehsil Sadiqabad), Bhakkar (except tehsil Mankera), Mianwali, Rawalpindi (high risk union councils) and Multan (Urban rural and Jalalpir Pirwala).
Earlier in his message, Adviser to Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the campaign was organised as case response to positive environmental sample in DG Khan and a polio case in Punjab’s adjoining district Dera Ismail Khan recently. “The areas deemed to be at greater risk to polio virus transmission have been selected,” he said.
He said directives have been issued to these districts to undertake the activity perfectly. He further said the provincial EPI program has made close coordination with these districts to ensure timely micro planning, mapping of high risk mobile population and vaccine supply.
Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Ali Jan Khan said that the campaign will target 3,049,713 children of below five years of age in 411 union councils of these nine districts. He said polio has been declared a national emergency and at district level, respective DCOs have been completely engaged in the polio eradication efforts.
He said a total of 7910 teams will perform their duties in the campaign which include 6803 mobile teams mobile teams, 614 fixed and 493 transit teams are serving in the campaign. He said special focus has been laid on the movement of the population at inter-provincial borders, especially those coming from the areas having polio virus circulation.
