Polio eradication drive from 26th

LAHORE:Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider, in a meeting at her office on Wednesday, finalised arrangements for the second anti-polio drive of 2024, scheduled to commence from February 26 and would continue till March 6.

The provincial capital gears up for a targeted polio eradication initiative covering 25 specific regions, as preparations reach completion. The meeting witnessed the participation of key figures, including Additional Deputy Commissioner General Muhammad Shujain Vistro, Assistant Commissioners, CEO Health, DHO, and other stakeholders.

The DC informed that the campaign would be carried out in six areas of Cantt, five areas in Samanabad, four areas in Ravi Town, and three areas in Wagah Town. She mentioned that the initiative would also be undertaken in Allama Iqbal and Data Ganj Bakhsh, with two areas each, and in Aziz Bhatti, Gulberg, and Nishtar Town, one area each will be covered. Following the previous campaign, DC Lahore confirmed the successful passage of all quality tests in Lahore.

The campaign’s micro-plan, spearheaded by Assistant Commissioner Model Town, Syed Yousaf, will specifically target the Pakhtun community through the Pakhtun Jirga. The Jirga aims to mobilise children under five years old for polio vaccination.

The District Health Officers (DHOs) will implement a meticulous plan for the campaign, and Assistant Commissioners will rigorously monitor the polio teams. Strict action would be taken against individuals involved in fraudulent entries on the polio board.

Rafia Haider asserted a zero-tolerance approach toward negligence in any form during the polio campaign, emphasising the critical role of two drops of polio vaccine in safeguarding children from a lifetime of disability.