Staff Reporter
The Punjab health department on Monday launched a five-day anti-polio campaign in all 36 districts of the province.
The campaign, to continue till September 24, aims at vaccinating 16.88 million children up to the age of five, and the authorities have also formed more than 65,000 mobile teams for this purpose.
Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal presided over an important meeting to review the campaign, at Civil Secretariat.
The Chief Secretary directed the deputy commissioners to make the anti-polio campaign a ‘success’ and enlist the help of mosques prayer leaders (Imam Masjid) and elders of the area to raise awareness among people.
The Chief Secretary said that it was necessary to work with national spirit to eradicate polio. He said that the situation regarding polio cases was better than last year but concerted efforts for the complete eradication of this deadly disease would have to be continued.
He also appreciated the services of the staff of the health department, administration and police who performed duties in the anti-polio campaigns.
The Secretary Primary Health briefed the meeting that the coverage rate in the anti-polio campaign carried out in 11 districts in August was 99.4 percent and as many as 82.98 million children were vaccinated against the target of 83.51 million.
The commissioner Lahore, special secretary specialized health, deputy commissioner Lahore and officers concerned attended the meeting that was joined by all the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners through video link.
