Crippling disease: Polio drive to be modelled after dengue campaign

CM’s adviser says cabinet committee to be set up to supervise final push.

LAHORE:

“We will devise a programme similar to the anti-dengue campaign to eradicate polio from the province,” Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique said on Friday. The chief minister will be requested to constitute a cabinet committee in this regard, he said.

Rafique was presiding over a meeting to discuss an action plan to eradicate polio and review steps in connection with a three-day anti-polio campaign that will start on September 29. Health Services Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik, DCO Capt (r) Muhammad Usman, Health Services Director General Zahid Pervaiz, Health EDO Dr Zulfiqar Ali, Dr Ubaidul Salam of the World Health Organisation, Dr Aslam Chaudhry of the Bill Gates Foundation, Muhammad Saeed Shamsi of the Pakistan Rotary Club and UNICEF representatives Dr Naeemullah and Ivon attended the meeting.

Usman told participants that 72 union councils in Lahore had been declared sensitive for polio; mostly Pakhtuns resided in 25 of those union councils.

Rafique said at least one woman worker fluent in Pashto should be sent with every team administering polio drops to children of Pakhtun families. The DCO said they would also drop awareness pamphlets from aeroplanes throughout the city and hold walks each Sunday.

Representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appreciated performance of the Health Department. They said right steps were being taken to eradicate polio.

Aslam Chaudhry said that 102 clusters of Pakhtun population in 72 high-risk union councils of Lahore needed special attention.

The DCO said the district government was doing its best to make the anti-polio campaign a success.

Rafique said strict action would be taken against those refusing polio drops for their children.

He said police would protect teams vaccinating children for polio. He said after the end of dengue season, dengue surveillance teams should be included in the anti-polio campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2014.