Polio campaign to begin in Attock next month

It is indeed a sad fact that while the world is struggling with the scourge of Covid-19, the country is also facing the menace of polio which has been eradicated all over the world except Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The anti-polio campaign is launched in various cities of Pakistan from time to time but social and religious taboos further compounded by illiterate family members pose many challenges to these health workers.

In this regard, around 0.3 million children up to the age of five years will be administered polio drops from June, Attock Commissioner Ali Anan Qamar announced on Monday

He was chairing a meeting which was attended by Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Jawad Ellahi, assistant commissioners, DDHOs Health of six different tehsils, Superintendent Vaccination Incharge Polio Control Room and representatives of World Health Organisation.

He urged that a 'no touch' vaccination method should be adopted so that distance is maintained between the front line worker and child.

He directed that health department teams must ensure that polio drops are administered to all children between the ages of one to five, adding parents must cooperate with the teams to make the campaign a success.

Health officials informed that as many as 1,100 teams have been constituted which will be present at all entry and exit points of the city, bus stands, railway stations, hospitals and health centres

They further revealed that 100 fixed teams and 35 transit teams have been constituted. Representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) on this occasion have informed that Punjab reported 14 polio cases in 2020 so far.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2021.