LAHORE: The Provincial Taskforce for Polio Eradication has decided to geotag the mobile population in the upcoming anti-polio campaign starting from October 28.
Special teams would be formed to vaccinate children at the entry and transit points of the province.
Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman jointly presided over an important meeting of the Provincial Taskforce for Polio Eradication at the Civil Secretariat.
The administrative secretaries of relevant departments including home, health and schools, the commissioner, deputy commissioner Lahore and representatives of international organizations working for the eradication of polio participated in the meeting, while all the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video link.
Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that the routine immunization (EPI) coverage is being improved for complete elimination of polio. He said that by removing the flaws in the anti-polio campaign, the eradication of the crippling disease can be made possible. He said that special measures must be taken to ensure 100 percent coverage of the mobile population and missed children.
The Chief Secretary Punjab directed that at least one government official must be included in every polio. He said that the digitization of micro-plans would help improve the quality of anti-polio drives. He said that the presence of poliovirus in environmental samples is worrisome.
The Chief Secretary also asked the administration of the bordering districts including Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, and Attock to remain alert to deal with the threat of polio. Secretary Primary Health Nadia Saqib gave a detailed briefing at the meeting. She said that in the anti-polio campaign starting from October 28, as many as 23.3 million children would be immunized, adding that 4,888 permanent and 2,654 transit teams have been formed to administer vaccines to the children upto the age of five years.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024