RAWALPINDI: A week-long anti-polio drive in the district will immunise 906,000 children to save them from the crippling disease.

Commissioner Aamir Khattak and Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema inaugurated the campaign by administering polio drops to children.

On this occasion, District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Ejaz Ahmed, District Officer Dr Ehsan Ghani, Coordinator World Health Organisation and other officials concernedwere also present on the occasion.

After polio virus found in sewage samples of Rawalpindi, an emergency anti-polio drive launched in the district from Monday for a week.The drive launched in five districts of Punjab including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur.

This campaign will last for seven days in Rawalpindi and Lahore, while it will last for five days in the rest of the districts. The anti-polio campaign will administer anti-polio vaccine immunizing 906,000 children under five years of age in Rawalpindi district.

For the campaign, a total 192 union council medical officers and 677 area in-charges will be appointed in Rawalpindi district while 2,834 mobile teams will be formed, 269 fixed points and 125 transit points are also marked for the campaign. On the first day of the campaign, the target was set to immunise 150,000 children.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema said that no case of polio has been witnessed in Rawalpindi since 2010 due to the coordinated efforts of all government departments. He said that the anti-polio campaign will continue for seven days in Rawalpindi.

Mr Cheema directed that a standard polio campaign should be organised in the district and vaccination should be done at the entry and exit points.

He said that multiple doses of vaccine provide the best protection against the virus, so parents should welcome polio teams until polio is completely eradicated.

Commissioner Aamir Khattak said that a foreign virus has been identified in Punjab which is dangerous for children. He said that anti-polio campaign is being organised from time to time to stop the local growth of the virus. He said that parents should cooperate with polio workers to secure the future of their children.

He directed that efforts should be made to cover the refusal cases and non-attended cases on the same day.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2024