Punjab is all set to launch the polio vaccination campaign on October 13.
The anti-polio campaign under National Immunisation Days (NIDs) will run till October 19 in Lahore. In other districts, the campaign will continue for four days.
Over 200,000 polio workers and supervisors will participate in the door-to-door drive, aiming to vaccinate more than 23.3 million children under five years of age across Punjab.
Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under five years old. The virus can cause irreversible paralysis within hours of infection. While there is no cure, vaccination remains the most effective means of protection.
Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus continues to circulate. The ongoing detection of the virus in environmental samples serves as a reminder that collective and sustained efforts are essential to protect every child and finally end polio transmission in the country.
Despite a significant decline in the positivity rate of environmental samples, the continued detection of poliovirus in certain districts of Punjab highlights the persistent risk of transmission and the urgent need to reach every child during the upcoming NIDs, said Adeel Tasawur, Head of the Polio Programme and Coordinator, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Punjab.
Review Meeting:
Chairing a readiness review meeting on Friday, he directed all district administrations—particularly in Jhang, Rajanpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan—to strengthen operations in flood-affected and security-challenged areas. He instructed officials to prepare special and improved microplans to ensure vaccination teams can reach every settlement, including nomadic and hard-to-reach populations.
Adeel Tasawur directed districts to increase the proportion of government-accountable persons in vaccination teams to strengthen oversight and accountability. He emphasised the need to enhance the quality of training sessions, particularly for newly inducted teams. “Consistency in field teams is crucial for quality performance. Avoid unnecessary team reshuffling and ensure all new administrative officials, especially Deputy Commissioners, are briefed well in advance,” he advised.
Mr Tasawur also called for strict adherence to data integrity, warning that any manipulation of information would not be tolerated. He urged district health officials to actively participate in field monitoring to ensure real-time supervision and problem-solving during the campaign.
Tasawur instructed districts to focus on grey areas and communities where vaccine refusals or misconceptions persist. He encouraged a community-centred approach, engaging local elders, religious scholars, teachers, and other trusted figures to build confidence in the polio vaccination effort.
