LAHORE, Aug 23: Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed has said five wild polio cases have been found this year in the province.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of preparatory meeting for district monitoring teams, EDOs and DOs (health) on National Immunization Days (NIDs) from Sept 2-4 at a local hotel on Saturday.

He said the best approach to make the next generation healthy was to save children and their mothers from preventable diseases.

He said the government had ensured availability of human resources, infrastructure as well as regular supply of syringes and vaccines for seven diseases with special focus on eradication of polio.

Dr Javed said the government had ensured supply of vaccines even at union council level to ensure free immunization to all pregnant women and newborns. It would also help reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates, he added.

He said with the formation of district governments, the responsibility of vaccination had been shifted to them. He stressed the district managements to be fully active and involve in performing duties assigned to them.

Earlier, Punjab Health Services Director-General Dr Khalid Mahmood Tikka said the objectives of the meeting was to introduce the draft national policy for EPI and achieve consensus on major policy issues.

Punjab health secretary Shahid Rashid and WHO representatives Dr Ahmad Darwesh and Tanvir Ahmad also spoke on the occasion. —Reporter