LAHORE: The Provincial Task Force on Polio Eradication has expressed concern over the detection of poliovirus in the environmental samples from Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan, directing targeted measures in the two high-risk districts during the upcoming vaccination campaigns to ensure comprehensive coverage of missed children.

The task force meeting chaired by health minister Khwaja Imran Nazir at the Civil Secretariat here on Wednesday reviewed arrangements for the upcoming anti-polio drive starting from April 21.

The meeting was attended also by Chief Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Uzma Kardar, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, administrative secretaries of the health and education departments, and representatives from international partner organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO). The divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners joined the meeting via video-link.

The health minister called for addressing operational shortcomings to achieve complete polio eradication in the province. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding polio workers in the field and announced that staff of the population welfare department, now integrated into the health department, would also perform duties in the polio campaigns.

The chief secretary instructed all deputy commissioners to personally oversee the anti-polio campaign in their jurisdictions, beginning from April 21. He underscored the critical role of technology, data digitisation, and enhanced training for the field staff in achieving successful outcomes.

Earlier, the health department officials briefed the task force that the province-wide vaccination campaign would run from April 21 to April 25 across all districts of the province.

However, the campaign in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi would run until April 27.

The officials stated that special mobile and transit teams had been mobilised to administer polio vaccine to children across the province.

HIV/AIDS: The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on Wednesday approved the phase-II of the Enhanced HIV/AIDS Control Programme, Punjab, with an estimated cost of Rs3.46 billion.

The meeting jointly chaired by P&D Board secretary Dr Asif Tufail, Chief Economist Masood Anwar was also attended by the board members and senior officers concerned.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2025