Daily Times

Punjab Health Department is set to launch Anti-Polio campaign from December 16,2024 (Monday) targeting 23.3 million children across the province. According to a spokesperson,the campaign will continue in Lahore,Rawalpindi and Faisalabad till December 22,2024 (Sunday) while in the remaining 33 districts,it will conclude on December 20,2024(Friday). This meeting chaired by Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare,Khawaja Salman Rafique,held at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday to review the campaign’s arrangements. Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare,Khawaja Imran Nazir, also participated in the meeting via video link. Speaking at the meeting,PM healthcare emphasized that polio eradication is a national priority requiring the collective effort of all provinces.”There is an urgent need to enhance cooperation between provinces to completely eliminate the poliovirus,”he stated. He directed officials to focus on improving micro-plans to ensure 100% vaccination coverage and expressed concern over the presence of the poliovirus in environmental samples. On the occasion,Khawaja highlighted the importance of sustained joint efforts,noting that “controlling polio demands consistent and coordinated action.” The Secretary of Primary Healthcare provided a detailed briefing,revealing that 85,000 mobile teams have been formed to administer vaccine drops during the campaign. International organizations working on polio eradication also attended the meeting and commended the Punjab government’s efforts in combating the disease. Deputy Commissioners (DC)from all districts joined the meeting via video link,along with senior officials,including the Additional Chief Secretary and representatives from global health organizations.