DERA GHAZI KHAN: The district has been declared polio-free with no positive cases detected in terms of patients or environmental samples, says District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Idris Khan Leghari.

Speaking to the media in the EPI Training Hall, Dr Leghari said over 800,000 children in the district had been vaccinated against polio with the support of more than 500 health workers.

“Despite challenges posed by the region’s difficult terrain, especially in tribal areas comprising 53 per cent of the district, the health teams successfully met their vaccination targets.”

Dr Leghari noted that initial refusals from communities in Taunsa and Kot Chhata were overcome with the help of local influential people, resulting in successful vaccinations, including 9,800 Pashtun children. He said the district health authority faced shortage of manpower. He said last polio case in Dera Ghazi Khan was detected in 2020.

He said the ongoing efforts in Dera Ghazi Khan were part of a broader campaign in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the two countries where polio remains endemic. Weekly environmental samples from the district are sent to Islamabad for testing.

Dr. Leghari emphasized the importance of continued vigilance and thanked religious scholars for their support, noting that polio vaccination was a requirement for entry into Saudi Arabia.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2024