The Provincial Taskforce for Polio Eradication has announced plans to geotag mobile populations as part of the upcoming anti-polio campaign, set to commence on October 28. This initiative aims to enhance the effectiveness of vaccination efforts across the province.
During a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday, Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman jointly presided over discussions on strategies to eradicate polio. The meeting emphasized forming special teams to vaccinate children at key entry and transit points within the province.
Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique highlighted the importance of improving routine immunization (EPI) coverage to achieve complete polio eradication. He stressed the need to address existing flaws in the anti-polio campaign to eliminate the disease effectively. Special measures are being implemented to ensure 100 percent vaccination coverage of mobile populations and children who have previously been missed.
Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman directed that each polio drive must include at least one government official to ensure accountability and efficiency. He noted that digitizing micro-plans would enhance the quality of the campaigns. The presence of the poliovirus in environmental samples remains a concern, prompting the chief secretary to instruct the administrations of bordering districts, including Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, and Attock, to stay vigilant against the threat of polio.
Secretary of Primary Health Nadia Saqib provided a comprehensive briefing, revealing that the upcoming campaign aims to immunize approximately 23.3 million children under the age of five. To achieve this, 4,888 permanent teams and 2,654 transit teams have been established to administer the vaccines.
The meeting was attended by administrative secretaries from relevant departments, including home, health, and education, as well as the commissioner and deputy commissioner of Lahore. Representatives from international organizations dedicated to polio eradication also participated, while divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners joined via video link.
