Daily Times

Residents of the Kumrat valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have no access to TV cable and newspapers never reach the same day but they are always updated about the polio vaccination campaign.

Last time, the residents learned about the campaign through a TikTok post, said Faraz, a social media influencer citing the residents during his summer vacation to the scenic valley. As social media reaches those parts of the country where even newspapers and TV cables have yet to hit their mark, it is high time social media platforms be used to influence the public in the fight against polio.

Coordinator of Punjab Emergency Operations Centre for polio eradication Syedah Ramallah Ali said this during an interactive session with social media interns at the EOC Punjab office on Wednesday.

She said that students could play an important role in dispelling misconceptions about polio through social media posts. The session participants included students belonging to various universities and faculty members.

Syedah Ramallah Ali emphasized that students could play a major role in spreading awareness about polio. “Students may use creative ways of media production and help the polio programme reach parents and dispel misconceptions about polio eradication efforts”, stressed Ms Ramallah.

“Misconceptions about polio are a big hurdle in polio eradication and have a long-lasting impact on polio eradication efforts”, added the coordinator.

The coordinator further said that she believed students could work as a harbinger of change and could build caregiver and family knowledge, awareness, and motivation in support of polio vaccination.

‘With almost 100 million 3G/4G subscribers and over 100 million broadband internet subscribers, internet is as mainstream as television and radio. The penetration of the internet as the primary medium of information, particularly for young parents and parents with children under 5 years of age, is expected to rise, said the coordinator.

‘Even in contexts where internet is not available or access is low, it informs local radio, print, and television journalists. So, I urge all the dynamic students gathered here to harness the potential of the digital and social media and help eradicate polio from Pakistan”, the EOC coordinator underlined.