LAHORE   -   Punjab has wrapped up special polio eradication campaign which was launched on July 1 to respond to positive environmental samples in several provincial cities and polio cases in hotspots outside the province. Based on the programme risk categorization, presently there are eight outbreak districts including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, DG Khan, Okara, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala and Faisalabad.  Of the above eight, Lahore and Rawalpindi are repeatedly reporting outbreaks. Apart from the outbreak districts, there are six priority districts including Rahimyar Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Attock, Sheikhupura and Sialkot. Remaining 22 districts are maintenance districts with low risk of virus importation. As per the data received, in the first six days, Punjab managed to vaccinate 3.9 million children in the five case response districts. Seventh and final day data was still being compiled till filing of this report. Lahore topped the list of districts with most vaccinated children, followed by Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Lodhran and Muzaffargarh. During the campaign 1.95 million children have been vaccinated in Lahore, over 0.7 million in Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi respectively, 0.31 million in Muzaffargarh and 0.16 million in Lodhran.  Over 32 thousand polio workers including area incharges, union council management officers, transit teams and mobile teams took part in the campaign to inoculate 4.45 million children. In Lahore and Rawalpindi, campaign lasted for 7 days while in other districts including Bahawalpur, Lodhran and Bahawalpur, campaign continued for 5 days. Earlier, chairing a review meeting the Punjab EOC Coordinator Mr Khizer Afzaal expressed concern about sub-optimal performance of Deputy District Health Officers, highlighting the need for capacity building of the officials. Presiding over the meeting Mr Khizer Afzaal called upon districts to use the oral polio vaccine with utmost care, minimizing the wastage to permissible limits but at the same ensuring that children were not under-immunized. Mr Afzaal reiterated the desire to engage and retain government accountable officers in polio teams. Mr Afzaal highlighted the need to finalize microplans on time and called for ensuring their quality. The EOC coordinator directed the district authorities to take strict action against officials not meeting the pre-campaign indicators especially in union councils which are constantly being flagged as red.

The EOC coordinator was also briefed about and environmental sample results of June, data quality issues, missed and zero doze children coverage as well as vaccine wastage rates. Soon after the conclusion of the campaign, the EOC coordinator called upon district health authorities to furnish a comprehensive report on the campaign quality based on key indicators including missed children coverage, high risk-mobile populations vaccination and refusal families. He directed the provincial campaign monitors to submit a comprehensive report based on findings during the campaign. The Punjab EOC head indicated to hold a review of the campaign data and hold accountability of relevant officials if need arose. He reiterated that government and Department of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, under the leadership of Mr Ali Jan Khan was committed to the cause of polio eradication. He hailed the performance of frontline polio workers who went “door to door during the polio campaign amid intense heat” and assured them that government was committed to their welfare and improving their working conditions.