Sehat Tahaffuz helpline launched

Islamabad: The Sehat Tahaffuz helpline (1166) was launched here Thursday to provide reliable health-related information and assistance to communities and to answer all queries and concerns related to polio and routine immunization services across Pakistan.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza launched the helpline in the presence of the Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Dr. Rana Muhammad Safdar, as well as representatives of donor and partner agencies. Established at the NEOC, the call center will be handled by dedicated experts who will provide credible information, thereby assisting the programme in reaching every child with polio vaccine. Parents will now instantly be able to report if their children are missed during the door-to-door national immunization campaigns.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Zafar said, the helpline is anticipated to bring lasting health benefits to the citizens of Pakistan. “By calling 1166, citizens will get access to reliable information relating to immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases; it will also make it easier for the polio programme to handle misinformation and anti-vaccine propaganda,” he said, hoping that the helpline would help win the trust of parents and communities alike.

Briefing the participants on the operations of the helpline, Dr. Rana Safdar said, “Run by the well-trained staff with local language capacities, the helpline operates from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight every day. It can immediately report a missed child to relevant staff for follow-up and vaccine coverage.”

A donor briefing was organized prior to inauguration of the helpline where Dr. Zafar apprised donors on the grave polio situation in Pakistan and the initiatives being taken to tackle the daunting challenge. A total of 144 children were paralyzed by polio in 2019. Anti-vaxxers continue to hamper the government’s efforts to eradicate polio with their continuous negative propaganda. Pakistan remains one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where poliovirus continues to circulate actively.