DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Adviser to the Chief Minister on Health, Ihtisham Ali, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating polio, emphasizing that repeated anti-polio campaigns are being conducted to protect children from the crippling disease.
While inaugurating the five-day vaccination drive starting February 3, he urged parents to cooperate with frontline health workers and ensure their children receive polio drops.
Health Secretary Shahdullah Khan, Special Secretary Health and Coordinator Emergency Operations Center Abdul Basit, Deputy Coordinator OC Muhammad Zeeshan Khan, DG Health Dr Muhammad Saleem, WHO Provincial Team Leader Dr. Sarfraz Afridi, UNICEF Deputy Team Leader Dr. Tufail, and other officials attended the launch.
Ihtisham Ali highlighted that the entire government apparatus, including health officials and law enforcement agencies, is working to eliminate polio. He stated that despite challenges, the province has successfully controlled the virus’s spread and remains committed to its complete eradication.
The health department has adopted multiple strategies, including the bikers strategy, ring strategy, health campuses, and integrated service delivery (ISD), to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.
During this campaign, over 6.5 million children under five will receive polio drops. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has formed 39,842 trained teams, including 32,482 mobile teams, 1,945 fixed teams, 1,321 transit teams, and 160 roaming teams, with 3,934 supervisors and 8,329 area in-charges ensuring effective oversight.
To ensure the safety of polio workers, around 50,000 security personnel have been deployed across the province.
