LAHORE: The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) for Polio Eradication has raised concern over gaps in coverage among mobile and migrant populations, instructing district teams to thoroughly fill these gaps.

Chairing a review meeting of all 36 districts on Friday, EOC Coordinator Adeel Tasawur commended the efforts of over 200,000 frontline workers who participated in the recent polio campaign, targeting more than 23 million children across the province.

He announced that Punjab achieved an impressive 99 per cent overall coverage, which he described as a testament to the unwavering commitment of the government, the health department and polio workers.

Despite the success of the drive, Mr Adeel directed all district administrations to closely examine causes of underperformance in certain union councils (UCs) during the recently concluded National Immunization Days (NIDs).

He emphasised that districts must submit comprehensive reports outlining the reasons behind the missed targets.

A special directive was issued for districts to track mobile and migrant families, including those who have relocated outside Punjab, and document their findings in detail to ensure these populations are not left behind in future campaigns.

While acknowledging the improvements made by several districts, Mr Tasawur reiterated the EOC’s zero-tolerance policy on fake data, especially concerning missed children.

He called on all CEOs of the district health authorities (DHAs) to take strict disciplinary action against any officials involved in data manipulation and to formally report such actions to the EOC.

He expressed satisfaction over the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) results, noting that 96pc of UCs passed quality checks, with no council failing—a significant milestone in campaign oversight and monitoring.

Mr Tasawur underscored that finger marking remains the most reliable barometer of vaccination coverage, stressing that every child must be vaccinated and visibly finger-marked. He urged all districts to further improve quality, especially in upcoming rounds of the campaign.

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious and potentially crippling viral disease that mainly affects children under the age of five. It can cause permanent paralysis and even death in severe cases. While most of the world has successfully eliminated the virus, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio continues to circulate endemically.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025