Punjab will hold polio campaign in 14 districts from 8th March, 2017

Lahore : Punjab will hold polio campaign in 14 districts from 8^th March, 2017 (Wednesday), Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir said here Monday. “The Sehat Muhafiz polio eradication teams of Primary and Secondary Health Department Punjab will visit house-to-house to vaccinate over 8.62 million children less than five years in 14 districts of Punjab in the campaign starting from Wednesday.

The campaigns will be held in the following districts: Lahore, DG Khan, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi, RY Khan, Sheikhupura, Khanewal, Lodhran, TT Singh, Vehari, Bahawalpur and Sahiwal,” Khawaja Imran Nazir added. “The campaign has been planned in whole districts in DG Khan, Lahore, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rawalpindi and RY Khan whereas in Sheikhupura, Khanewal, Lodhran, TT Singh, Vehari, Bahawalpur and Sahiwal, the campaign will be held in selected union councils,” he said.

Khawaja Imran further said: “The five-day drive, which was earlier postponed,is part of government efforts to provide protection to the children from polio.” 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’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, Faisalabad, Multan and DG Khan and now a polio case in Lodhran highlighted the need to reach out to all children,” he said. Punjab completed 2016 without a polio case. But a four-month child from Lodhran ended Punjab’s streak of 14 months without a case. Pakistan reported a total of 20 cases in 2016 with 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.