Anti-polio campaign targets 1.6m children
A health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a door-to-door polio vaccination campaign in Lahore, Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP
As the next phase of the anti-polio campaign kicks off from February 26 to March 3 in the district, an estimated 1.6 million children under the age of five are set to receive polio drops.
A workforce of 4,869 teams has been mobilised to carry out the vaccination campaign.
The campaign was officially launched at Allied Hospital I, with Deputy Commissioner Ali Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh administering the first polio drops to children.
Alongside him were key figures including CEO DHA Dr Asfandyar, MS Dr Muhammad Faheem Yousaf, DHO Dr Azmat Abbas, DDHO Dr Azeem Arshad, Madam Shahnaz from UNICEF, and members of civil society.
Read Scope of anti-polio campaign expanded
Expressing the critical importance of the campaign, Deputy Commissioner Ali Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh emphasised the need for meticulous attention and responsibility to fully eradicate the poliovirus from the country.
He stressed that every child under the age of five, including nomadic and Pashtun children, must be reached for vaccination.
Nayyar pledged personal oversight by visiting various areas in the district to monitor the performance of the polio teams.
He called for a sustained awareness campaign to inform parents and underscored that the success of the anti-polio effort hinges on parental cooperation.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2024.