Sehat Muhafiz polio eradication teams of Health Department Punjab will visit house-to-house to vaccinate nearly 7 million children less than five years in eight districts of Punjab in a campaign starting from tomorrow, Monday, December 18.
“The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre has decided to hold polio eradication campaigns in Lahore, DG Khan, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi, RY Khan and Sheikhupura,” Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir said.
“All children of five years will be vaccinated in DG Khan, Lahore, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi and RY Khan,” the minister said.
Khawaja Imran reiterated that “the five-day drive is part of government efforts to provide protection to the children.” Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Punjab Ali Jan Khan urged parents to vaccinate their children during the three-day campaign especially those who were guests.
Punjab completed 2016 without a polio case. But a four-month child from Lodhran ended Punjab’s streak of 14 months without a case in 2017. So far Pakistan has reported 7 polio cases including two each from Sindh and Balochistan, while one each from Punjab, KPK and Gilgit Baltistan. Whereas in 2016, 20 polio cases were reported in Pakistan; 8 from Sindh, 8 from KPK, 2 from FATA and 2 from Balochistan. Globally, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the three countries still having polio cases. Punjab is focusing on South Punjab districts as well as Rawalpindi and Lahore because of persistent positive environmental samples. Punjab’s Emergency Operation Coordinator Dr. Munir Ahmed said a recent polio case from Lodhran and persistent positive environmental samples were a cause of concern. "Positive samples in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Faisalabad, Multan and DG Khan and now a polio case in Lodhran highlighted the need to reach out to all children," he said.