Anti-polio drive kicks off
A five-day anti-polio drive started in Sargodha on Monday in which 689,411 children of under five years of age would be vaccinated in the district.
The drive will continue until January 12. Deputy Commissioner General Umar Farooq, addressing the opening ceremony of administering of anti-polio drops to children at the Government Dr. Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital, said that children were our future, and it was our mission to protect every child from lifelong disability.
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He said that to achieve the 100% target, the District Health Authority should ensure strict monitoring along with the provision of facilities to the anti-polio teams, special arrangements for remote areas including nomadic families, river belts and high-risk union councils.
He urged parents, especially mothers, to ensure that their children were vaccinated against polio, and if teams did not reach their homes, they should take their children to the vaccination centers.
The official said that unfortunately Pakistan was among the countries where the poliovirus was still present. “People who are working in this harsh weather are our national heroes, and their foolproof security has been ensured,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2024.