KOHAT: The authorities in Hangu reviewed preparations for the upcoming National Immunisation Days (NIDs) scheduled for February, focusing on security planning, low-performing areas and inter-agency coordination to ensure a successful campaign.

The review meeting of the district polio eradication committee was chaired by additional deputy commissioner Naseer Khan and attended by the officials of the district administration, health department, police, as well as the partner organisations.

Mr Khan said that 90 per cent of the targeted children would be administered vaccines. He, however, said Afghan refugees, who had been evicted from camps and schools, would be skipped during the campaign.

An official said that achieving 100 per cent vaccination target was very challenging as hundreds of people lived in remotest regions. He said campaigns were launched almost twice every month as a large number of travelling families could not be reached in the initial phase.

The meeting reviewed the readiness for the forthcoming campaign and the outcomes of previous polio drives, identifying key operational challenges and measures to address them. Special attention was given to security-sensitive union councils, where authorities agreed to adopt tailored strategies to guarantee safe and uninterrupted access for vaccination teams.

The committee also decided on targeted interventions, strengthened micro-planning and stricter monitoring to improve performance in low-performing union councils. Routine immunisation coverage during 2025 and Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance were also reviewed as part of broader efforts to strengthen the district’s immunisation system.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2026