RAWALPINDI, March 4: A three-day polio vaccination campaign is being launched throughout the country from Tuesday as part of the National Immunization Days (NIDs) campaign.
Over 30 million children under the age of five years will be administered polio drops. In Rawalpindi district, 560,780 children will be vaccinated.
The district has been divided into nine sectors for the campaign. In Rawalpindi Tehsil, there are three sectors — city, cantonment and rural areas. Besides, there are two sectors in Wah and Taxila and one each in Kahuta, Gujar Khan, Murree and Kotli Sattian. The nine sectors have been further sub-divided into 32 zones.
The vaccination task in these nine sectors would be accomplished by 1,408 teams each comprising two members. The total strength of manpower engaged in the task is 2,816. Of the 1,408 vaccination teams 1,178 will be mobile, 173 at static health facilities and 54 at public places.
According to the official hierarchy of the vaccination teams, there will be 202 area in charges, 32 zonal supervisors and four Tehsil supervisors.
Logistics made available for this campaign are 367 motorcycles and 40 vehicles.
Rawalpindi district has been identified as one of the high risk areas due to high population density, rapid growth in population, particularly, due to migration of people from the adjoining rural areas and presence of a large refugee community.
The third party assessment of the previous campaign held in January showed that for the first time in the district’s history, the coverage was over 97 per cent. The previous coverage record hovered around 80 per cent.
APP ADDS: District Health Officer Dr Zafarul Haq Lodhi has informed that the health department has activated 200 mobile teams in this regard.
Over 74,000 special teams have been constituted by the provincial health departments, health departments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Federally Administered Northern Areas (Fana), the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Pakistan has made significant progress towards complete eradication of polio and attaining polio-free status.