Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, is set to launch a comprehensive anti-polio campaign starting on December 16. It will continue in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi until December 22, while in 33 other districts and cities, it will end by December 20.
According to a report by Samaa News on Wednesday, the anti-polio campaign aims to vaccinate over 23.3 million children in the province as part of the country’s fight against polio, a disease that causes lifelong disabilities in children up to 5 years of age.
The Provincial Health Minister, Khwaja Salman Rafique, chaired a review meeting ahead of the anti-polio campaign to assess the initiative’s preparations and discuss recommendations regarding the drive. He emphasized that eradicating polio is a national priority for the country.
Khwaja Salman Rafique stated that it is critical to enhance inter-provincial collaboration to achieve the complete elimination of the polio virus from the country. He directed officials to further improve the quality of the anti-polio drive, focusing on enhanced micro plans to ensure 100% coverage.
During the meeting, it was noted that international organizations have lauded the provincial government’s efforts in fighting polio, while 85,000 mobile teams have been deployed to administer polio drops to children across the province, ensuring accessibility in every area.
