Anti-polio campaign launched

LAHORE: The Emergency Operations Centre of Punjab is taking all-out measures under the National Emergency Action Plan 2018-19 to eradicate polio from the province and all over country.

This was stated by Director of Expanded Programme on Immunisation Dr Munir Ahmad on Monday while submitting his reply to the Punjab Assembly in response to a resolution submitted by one of its members Hina Pervez Butt.

In his reply he admitted that a child had unfortunately fallen prey to the crippling virus in the provincial capital after eight years. This happened due to the intermittent polio virus transmission which was going on in major cities of the country, including Lahore. In response, the health department has rolled out a schedule of polio eradication campaigns to ensure that it does not happen again, Dr Munir Ahmad said.

The EPI director emphasised that high-risk populations from various parts of the country travelled to Punjab very frequently in order to earn livelihood and avoid harsh weather which contributed to the virus spread in the province.

“The Punjab government has set up vaccination points at the entry points to ensure that such populations receive polio vaccinations on the go and their immunity is boosted”, he said. He stated that the government has also set up essential vaccination facilities in government hospitals a well as outreach centres to vaccinate children. However, the director acknowledged, some children are missed in polio campaigns and these children are vulnerable to the crippling virus in addition to posing risk to other children as well.

Dr Munir said that with the support of allied departments and polio eradication partners the Punjab government has rolled out all-inclusive awareness and eradication campaigns to ensure that parents cooperate with polio teams, vaccinate their children especially nomads and travellers from the high-risk districts. “I urge all parents to be patient and steadfast in vaccination of their children”, the director EPI reiterated.