‘Over 90pc coverage’ as polio drive concludes

Published September 16, 2024
A health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a polio vaccination campaign in Karachi on June 3, 2024. — AFP
A health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a polio vaccination campaign in Karachi on June 3, 2024. — AFP

ISLAMABAD: As the week-long campaign against polio concluded on Sunday, the data of first six days showed that 97 per cent target of vaccination has been achieved. The data from the last day will be compiled on Monday.

The campaign was launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sept 9 in 115 districts of the country to vaccinate 30 million children under the age of five.

Some 286,000 polio workers went door-to-door to administer polio drops to children.

Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Bharath said that as of September 14, as many as 97pc of the children have been vaccinated in 115 districts, adding that the catch-up activities have also commenced and they are meant to ensure that no child is be left unvaccinated.

In a statement, he appreciated efforts of polio teams on who delivered the vaccines house-to-house despite many challenges.

He directed the national polio programme team to review the post-campaign results and prepare detailed plans to plug the identified gaps ahead of the next campaign in October.

Muhammad Anwarul Haq, the coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, said that the campaign faced challenges in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that needed to be addressed, while the drive in Balochistan progressed well.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Electricity relief
05 Apr, 2025

Electricity relief

FINALLY, some tangible relief. With the worst of the inflationary storm now behind us, the government’s decision ...
Trump’s trade wars
05 Apr, 2025

Trump’s trade wars

THE so-called reciprocal tariffs rolled out recently by American President Donald Trump have expanded his vicious...
Legalised land grab
05 Apr, 2025

Legalised land grab

THE Modi government has passed a new bill targeting the Muslim community, this time eyeing swathes of priceless real...
More than words
Updated 04 Apr, 2025

More than words

Holistic development can only work when there is organic and credible political activity in the province.
Poor publicity
04 Apr, 2025

Poor publicity

FORTUNE does not seem to be favouring the PTI — at least not yet. With the party’s founder confined from public...
Party pooper
04 Apr, 2025

Party pooper

INDIA’s role of a spoilsport is tiresome. From pulling books from shelves, such as Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: ...