Punjab targets 10.64m children in anti-polio drive

LAHORE: The provincial task force for polio eradication has set a target of vaccinating more than 10. 64 million children under five during a sub-national anti-polio campaign beginning September 21 in 13 selected districts of Punjab. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a task force meeting at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday, which was attended by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Chief Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Uzma Kardar, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary, representatives of international partner organisations and senior health officials. Divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video link. The task force expressed satisfaction over ongoing efforts to eradicate polio from the province. Addressing the meeting, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique directed authorities to utilise all available resources to reach every child, with particular emphasis on children missed during previous campaigns and mobile populations. He directed officials to ensure that transit teams at bus stands, travel routes and entry and exit points remained fully operational, particularly in high-risk areas witnessing frequent population movement. He said UCMOs and area in-charges had also been directed to strictly monitor field operations. Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman directed deputy commissioners of all targeted districts to personally supervise the campaign and ensure maximum coverage of children missed in previous rounds. Health officials briefed the meeting that the campaign would continue from September 21 to 27, covering 1, 376 union councils across 13 districts. The campaign would run for seven consecutive days in Lahore and four days in the remaining districts. Eight districts – Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Sheikhupura – would receive full coverage, while selected union councils in Attock, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Kasur and Mianwali would be covered under the targeted campaign. A workforce of 77, 488 personnel would be deployed in 39, 774 teams to conduct the drive. These include 36, 420 mobile teams assigned to vaccinate more than 8. 16 million children door-to-door, 2, 060 fixed teams at health centres and 1, 294 transit teams to vaccinate children travelling through key transit points. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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