The government had ordered the executive district officers (EDOs) to ensure vaccination of the children displaced after the military launched an offensive against extremist militants in North Waziristan, Health Secretary Ejaz Munir said on Saturday.
Addressing a polio orientation and planning workshop organised by Rotary Club Pakistan, Munir said arrangements had been made to administer polio drops to the internally displaced children at all transactional points of the province and also in trains. He said police and transporters were cooperating with the Health Department in this regard.
Munir said the routine immunisation coverage would be enhanced by up to 80% by 2015 under the Punjab Health Roadmap Programme. Keeping the province polio-free was a big challenge, he said.
“The national action plan for polio eradication is being strictly implemented in the Punjab. Every month, the chief secretary holds meetings with district coordination officers and reviews progress of the campaign.”
The secretary praised Rotary Club for its cooperation in fighting the virus. He said the cooperation would continue until the desired results were achieved.
Ayesha Raza, the prime minister’s focal person on polio eradication, said the president had held a jirga with tribal elders and sought their help for administering polio drops to children in FATA, including Waziristan. Earlier, a review of polio situation in the four provinces was presented in the workshop. The participants discussed the future strategy for anti-polio campaigns.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2014.