- Punjab EOC official urges districts to conduct “high-quality” campaign.
- Over 200,000 workers to be deployed for nationwide initiative.
- Four of 16 “infected districts” in Punjab identified as priority areas.
LAHORE: The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on Thursday raised alarms over the risk of of local polio circulation in the region, urging districts to conduct a “high-quality” vaccination campaign which is set to start on December 16.
These instructions came as EOC Coordinator, Adeel Tasawar, led a meeting to assess the readiness of the districts for the final campaign of the year, aiming to vaccinate 23.3 million children across the province, The News reported.
“Polio virus transmission, whether local or imported, can only be halted through high-quality campaigns. I urge all districts to implement a quality campaign,” said Tasawar, during the meeting.
He revealed that more than 200,000 workers will be deployed for this nationwide initiative, which seeks to eliminate the polio threat in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, that accounts for 50% of the target population in the polio eradication programme.
In August, the province reported its first polio case in over 45 months from Chakwal, highlighting the ongoing risk. Meanwhile, the threat of polio virus importation from regions still affected by the disease remains a significant concern.
Currently, 16 districts in Punjab are classified as infected, including Attock, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Okara, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Jhang, Mianwali, and Dera Ghazi Khan.
Among these, four districts — Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Sheikhupura, and Sialkot — are identified as priority areas, requiring enhanced surveillance and vaccination efforts. The threat of polio virus importation from regions still affected by the disease remains a significant concern.
The remaining 16 districts are classified as “maintenance districts,” with a relatively low risk of virus importation.
Furthermore, Tasawar emphasised the crucial role of district health teams, urging them to take full responsibility for the campaign’s success as he highlighted the importance of accountability and the need for continuous monitoring of vaccination teams.
He called for improved verification of vaccination coverage, particularly for children who missed their doses.
Additionally, he revealed that district health management officials at the tehsil level will be tasked with validating data submitted by the teams to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.
The EOC coordinator also emphasised the necessity of tracking, registering, and vaccinating mobile and migrant populations, who are particularly vulnerable to the virus and contribute to its spread to previously unaffected areas.
He called for intensified efforts in high-risk union councils near inter-provincial boundaries, ensuring enhanced monitoring and supervision in these areas.
Tasawar underscored the importance of revitalising transit points, urging district administrations to focus sharply on these locations. He encouraged parents to vaccinate their children through teams deployed at these transit points.
Lastly, the EOC head reaffirmed the government’s commitment to stopping the spread of the virus, both local and imported.
