LAHORE: The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has assigned a task to assess campaign performance, identify missing children, and operational gaps to check the quality of the ongoing polio eradication campaigns.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by EOC Coordinator Khalid Parvaiz here on Thursday with district health and polio teams from 11 districts of Punjab.

The meeting reviewed campaign indicators at district and union council levels, with particular focus on identifying gaps in vaccination coverage, improving data quality and transparency, and ensuring that corrective actions are based on accurate and timely information.

A spokesperson for the EOC said Khalid Parvaiz stressed the need for districts to move beyond overall coverage figures and closely examine performance at the UC and lower administrative levels.

He directed teams to identify areas where children may have been missed and take timely corrective measures to ensure that every eligible child is reached with the polio vaccine.

He also emphasised the importance of maintaining accurate and transparent campaign data, noting that reliable data is essential for identifying vulnerabilities, prioritising resources and improving the quality of subsequent campaign activities.

The EOC coordinator further directed the districts to closely monitor vaccine utilisation and improve vaccine wastage rates through better planning, forecasting and management at the field level.

“Our focus must remain on campaign quality and reaching every child. Accurate data allows us to identify gaps, while timely corrective action at the UC level helps ensure that no child is missed,” Mr Khalid Parvaiz said.

He urged the district teams to maintain a close supervision of field activities, strengthen accountability at all levels and sustain efforts in high-risk and vulnerable areas.

The meeting also reviewed the status of missed children, field-level implementation and other operational indicators, with district teams sharing updates and highlighting areas requiring additional attention.

Mr Khalid Parvaiz reiterated that Punjab has made significant progress against polio, but there is no room for complacency.

He stressed that continued vigilance, high-quality campaigns and sustained vaccination of children during every campaign remain essential to protect Punjab from the risk of polio virus transmission.

The EOC directed district teams to follow up on identified gaps and ensure that corrective measures are implemented at the field level.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2026