Anti-polio campaign set to commence on Sept 4

In the wake of the reports of an environmental sample testing positive for the poliovirus in the garrison city, a week-long anti-polio drive is set to commence in the high-risk areas of the district on September 4 to cover more than 741,579 children under five years of age.

Health experts have expressed concern over the continuous increase in the number of people suffering from disabilities due to non-vaccination of polio vaccine and urged to focus more on the awareness campaign against polio as per World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

Sources in the District Health Authority (DHA) told The Express Tribune that even though not a single case of poliovirus was reported in the district, the environmental sample tested positive for the crippling virus which is an alarming situation for the health administrators. “Therefore, an anti-polio campaign is being started immediately and environmental samples will continue to be taken in the future as well,” the sources said.

DHA CEO Dr Ejaz Ahmed said 2,770 teams including 2,430 mobile teams, 568 area in-charges, 261 fixed points and 156 Union Council medical officers would visit four towns of the district including Rawalpindi city, Cantonment, Rawalpindi rural and Taxila which had been declared high-risk areas.

He added that drops would also be administered at 109 transit points while teams would be deputed at toll plazas so that no child could miss immunisation.

The CEO said the purpose for launching the special drive was the presence of continuous detection of the poliovirus in environmental samples collected from the area of Sarae Kala, Taxila and Safdarabad, Rawalpindi.

The positive sample in Rawalpindi indicates that the virus was circulating in the region, adding that “If a single case is reported in a region, it remains a threat to children residing in 200 houses in the vicinity.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2023.