ISLAMABAD, Sep 28 (APP): Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme on Saturday convened the high-level review meeting to assess the last immunization campaign’s outcomes.
A meeting chaired by Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq reviewed the September Polio campaign.
The meeting was informed that the drive reached nearly 33 million children, and assured to continue focused efforts to protect Pakistani children from devastating effects of polio.
Led by PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for Polio Eradication, Anwarul Haq, and provincial EOC coordinators reviewed campaign progress in all 116 districts that were covered, the successes and challenges and the way forward to implement more polio campaigns.
During the large-scale campaign that began on September 9, nearly 33 million children under the age of five across 116 districts were vaccinated, marking a significant milestone in the national effort to eradicate polio.
The campaign was specially focused on vaccinating children in high-risk areas where the virus has been detected persistently and was meant to ensure protection for children from the crippling poliovirus.
Congratulating the team for conducting an effective campaign that reached its target, Ayesha Raza Farooq said that through renewed focus on plugging gaps in campaign operations, the program is back on track towards eradication.
“We saw strong inter-provincial coordination and collaboration between provincial governments, health teams, and law enforcement agencies.”
“We also made tremendous efforts to update our understanding of migrant and mobile populations to be able to better reach these moving communities and vaccinate vulnerable children,” she said.
“We are seeing progress in some key areas, but we will see there is still much work to do as we prepare for the October campaign.”
The PM’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza, highlighted the strong coordination among provinces that was a hallmark of the September polio campaign.
Ayesha reaffirmed that the program, supported by the government, is implementing a comprehensive strategic plan to eradicate polio by mid-2025, focusing on high-quality campaigns, targeted outbreak responses, and strengthening routine immunization.
NEOC Coordinator Captain Anwaarul Haq emphasized the need for ongoing improvements, especially in response to the recent polio cases.
“Despite the progress we’ve made, the emergence of new cases is a clear reminder that our efforts are not yet complete.”
“We have two additional campaigns scheduled for October and November 2024, which will focus on closing the gaps identified in the September campaign and strengthening vaccination efforts in hard-to-reach areas,” he stated.
So far in 2024, Pakistan has reported 24 cases of polio, with the latest case from Hyderabad district in Sindh.
The review meeting reaffirmed the program’s priority of reaching mobile and migratory populations, enhancing transit teams’ outreach, and ensuring that vaccination efforts meet the highest standards.
Ayesha expressed gratitude for the continued support from the government, donors, and partners.
“With the unwavering backing of our government and partners, we will safeguard our children and bring Pakistan closer to eradicating polio.”
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program remains steadfast in its mission to eliminate polio and protect future generations from the debilitating effects of polio.
