‘No poliovirus found in Rawalpindi’

Five-day polio campaign to start from February 28

RAWALPINDI:

Health authorities’ incessant efforts have put an end to poliovirus in the Rawalpindi district as no case was reported in the last 11 months.

Health officials said that the results of 33 environmental samples to determine the presence of poliovirus were tested negative.

A new five-day anti-polio campaign is planned to start from February 28.

District Health Authority (DHA) officials said that environmental samples were taken from different areas every month to confirm the presence of poliovirus. They said a total of 33 samples were sent for laboratory tests from April 2021 to February 2022, but the result was tested negative.

According to District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Ehsan Ghani, a schedule has been prepared for the polio campaign from February 28 to March 5 and all arrangements have been finalised.

During the campaign, he said that polio vaccines will be given to over 0.7 million in Gujjar Khan, Kahuta, Kalrasidan, Kotli Satyan, Murree, Rawalpindi Cantonment and city and Taxila.

He said that 242 medical officers, 4046 mobile teams, 307 fixed centres, 147 transit teams have been formed for the five-day polio campaign.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2022.