Daily Times

District Multan has bagged historical achievement in the recent anti-polio campaign as the resistance against polio goes down to zero.

A five day anti-polio vaccination had culminated on November 8, but a three-day catch-up phase for the left out children ended on Monday. Out of 896828 children, 857676 were immunized and the success rate remained 96 percent. Chief Executive Officer District Health Authority Multan Dr. Munawwar Abbas told that remaining 83730 children were vaccinated in the catch-up phase.

Dr. Abbas also circulated a contact number (9200902/9200375) of polio teams for registration of complaints and information. He told that existence of polio virus was confirmed in Multan when a sewerage sample taken from Ali Town Multan was tested in September. He further said that samples were again sent to the laboratory for re-testing on October 18.

While chairing a meeting, Additional deputy commissioner Multan Qamar-uz-Zaman Qaisarni has said that polio-free Pakistan is our main target. He said that to vaccinate every child under five-years of age is the responsibility of district government. It is a sad fact that polio virus exists only in Pakistan and Afghanistan in all over the world. He appreciated the staff of district government for successful completion of anti-polio campaign and for continuous monitoring of polio teams. Representatives of World Health Organization, UNICEF and Rotary Club also attended that meeting.

DHO Dr. Zaffar Abbas told that services of moderate religious scholars are always helpful in dealing with those people who are against anti-polio vaccination. For polio teams, Azadi March has borne fruit full results, said Dr. Abbas.

Civil Society activist Advocate Shehbaz Gurmani said that one of the main reasons of this success is the absence of clerics and students of religious seminaries who had went for the sit-in at Islamabad. He said that due to the absence of clerics who were against anti-polio immunization, the campaign remained successful. He said that the clerics, because of their misperceptions against the polio, misguide innocent people. He informed that only three refusals were witnessed which were also covered in the catch-up phase with the help of police.