‘Punjab anti-polio steps need to be replicated’

LAHORE

The world representative of World Health Organisation Dr Michel Thieren has said the Punjab model of synergising resources of Polio and Expanded Programme on Immunisation has proven to be immensely successful and this needs to be replicated in other provinces.

Dr Michel Thieren visited Punjab Emergency Operation Centre on Monday and met EOC Coordinator Dr Munir Ahmed along with officials of Punjab Expanded on Immunisation, WHO, UNICEF and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

EOC Coordinator Dr Munir Ahmed gave a detailed overview of the working of the EOC and the model of synergising polio assets towards routine immunisation. He said Punjab’s routine immunisation had increased from 56 percent in 2014 to 86 percent as per Neilsen survey with the help of initiatives like e-vaccs, an android based application for monitoring of vaccination staff. He also discussed the challenges in polio eradication and the strategies applied to track population moving from areas having polio virus circulation.

The visiting official was informed that Punjab was to claim Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus elimination, and WHO mission would visit DG Khan and Okara for validation in the last quarter of the year.

Dr Munir Ahmed also shared that Rota Virus vaccine would be introduced in Lahore, Kasur, Khushab, Mandi Bahauddin, Multan and Muzaffargarh in October 2016 and rest of the province by January 2017.