Polio drive targets to vaccinate 1.64m kids

JARANWALA:

The district's latest anti-polio campaign, aiming to vaccinate 1.64 million children under the age of five, was officially launched on Saturday at Red Crescent Hospital.

The campaign will run from September 9 to 15, with 4,922 teams deployed across the district.

Deputy Commissioner Capt (retd.) Nadeem Nasir inaugurated the campaign by administering polio drops to children during the launch ceremony.

He was joined by DHA CEO Dr Asfandyar, DHO Dr. Azmat Abbas, and members of civil society.

In his remarks, the Deputy Commissioner stressed the importance of the anti-polio drive, calling for focused efforts and accountability to fully eradicate polio from the country.

He directed health officials to ensure that every child under five is vaccinated, including nomadic communities and Pashtun children.

He also pledged to personally monitor the performance of polio teams by visiting different areas of the district.

Emphasizing the need for a robust public awareness campaign, Nasir urged parents to actively participate by ensuring their children receive the polio vaccine. "The success of the anti-polio campaign depends on the cooperation of parents," he said, adding that all available means of publicity should be used to inform the public.