SWAT: Malakand Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam said on Thursday that no polio case was reported in the division for the last two years owing to the effective role health department and vaccinators.

He was addressing a meeting of anti-polio divisional task force at his office. The meeting was held to review arrangements for anti-polio campaign in Malakand. Area coordinator of the immunisation programme Dr Khawaja Irfan briefed the meeting about the steps being taken to eradicate polio.

The meeting reviewed the steps taken for the upcoming anti-polio campaign, performance of districts and vaccinators in the previous anti-polio campaign as well as the progress in the anti-coronavirus campaign and vaccination in the division. The district health officers and relevant officials attended the meeting.

Presiding over the meeting, Commissioner Zaheerul Islam said that the teams of health department and district administration played vital role in controlling polio. “Luckily, polio cases have not been reported for two years and we have entered the third and most important year to made Malakand polio-free,” he added.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2022