Combating disease: Anti-polio campaign to target visitors

Around 695,000 children expected to be vaccinated.

RAWALPINDI:

The City-District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) has decided to add travellers and visitors to its net in its next polio eradication campaign scheduled on December 17.

This was decided in a meeting of senior officials of the district government’s health, education and police departments on Thursday, which was chaired by Pakistan Muslim League-N MNA Shakeel Awan.



The decision was made after a child diagnosed with polio in Rawalpindi district in June this year was found to be visiting from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

A handout issued by the information department revealed that 85 mobile teams will be constituted to vaccinate travellers and visitors at the airport, railway stations, bus stands and parks during the campaign.



Moreover, Executive District Officer (EDO) Dr Zaffar Iqbal Gondal said that 695,000 aged below five years are expected to be vaccinated, adding that 1,397 teams will be constituted and 258 centres established for the purpose.

MNA Malik Shakeel Awan said that all concerned departments should play their part earnestly to make this campaign a success, as they did for during the Punjab government’s anti-dengue campaigns.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2012.