Rawalpindi Launches Anti-Polio Awareness Drive with a Target of Vaccinating Over 1,000,000 Children

Strategic Insights -

As the anti-polio campaign in Rawalpindi is set to begin in September, the District Polio Eradication Committee (DPEC) has issued a directive to launch a comprehensive awareness drive to educate the public about the importance of vaccination and the risks of permanent disability from polio. Under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. Hassan Waqar Cheema, the committee meeting was attended by senior health officials, including District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr. Asif Arbab Khan Niazi, World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinator Dr. Shumaila Akbar, and District Health Officer Dr. Ehsan Ghani. The objective of the campaign is to administer anti-polio drops to over 1,000,000 children under the age of five years in all tehsils and 212 union councils of Rawalpindi.

Key Takeaways:

  • A comprehensive awareness drive will be launched to educate the public about the importance of vaccination and the risks of permanent disability from polio.
  • Over 9,000 people will perform duties during the campaign, including 3,675 mobile teams, 330 fixed teams, and 163 transit teams.
  • A target has been set to administer anti-polio drops to over 1,000,000 children under the age of five years.
  • No polio case has emerged in Rawalpindi since 2010.
  • The campaign will involve large-scale mobilization and the involvement of influential people, including religious scholars and parliamentarians.
  • Extensive training and logistical readiness activities have been conducted to ensure the success of the campaign.
  • Ongoing surveillance efforts have shown negative results, reinforcing the success of preventive measures.

Statistics:

  • Over 1,000,000 children under the age of five years will be vaccinated during the campaign.
  • 9,000 people will perform duties during the campaign.
  • 3,675 mobile teams, 330 fixed teams, and 163 transit teams will be involved in the campaign.
  • No polio case has emerged in Rawalpindi since 2010.

Sources:

  • District Polio Eradication Committee (DPEC)
  • Official announcement by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. Hassan Waqar Cheema