Dera Ismail Khan , Sep 20 (APP):The September 2026 Sub-National Immunization Days (SNID) campaign was formally inaugurated here on Sunday at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hikmatullah Khan and Additional Deputy Commissioner General (ADC-G) administering Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops to a child. The inauguration ceremony marked the commencement of the district-wide polio vaccination campaign aimed at ensuring that every eligible child under five years of age …
September anti-polio campaign formally launched in DIKhan
Dera Ismail Khan , Sep 20 (APP):The September 2026 Sub-National Immunization Days (SNID) campaign was formally inaugurated here on Sunday at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hikmatullah Khan and Additional Deputy Commissioner General (ADC-G) administering Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops to a child.
The inauguration ceremony marked the commencement of the district-wide polio vaccination campaign aimed at ensuring that every eligible child under five years of age is reached with life-saving polio drops.
Speaking on the occasion, DC Hikmatullah Khan said that the district administration was extending full support to the Polio Eradication Initiative and would ensure effective coordination among all relevant departments for successful implementation of the campaign.
He stressed the need for vaccination teams to perform their duties diligently and for field activities to be closely monitored to ensure that no eligible child was missed during the campaign.
The DC also urged parents, community elders, teachers, religious leaders and other stakeholders to cooperate with vaccination teams and play their role in creating awareness among families about the importance of polio vaccination.
Earlier, a meeting of the District Polio Eradication Committee (DPEC) was held under the chairmanship of DC Hikmatullah Khan to review preparedness for the September 2026 SNID campaign.
The meeting was attended by District Police Officer Ziauddin Ahmad, District Health Officer, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), core members of the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC), representatives of the Education and Local Government departments, and Assistant Commissioners from all tehsils of the district.
The meeting reviewed overall preparedness for the campaign, including coordination among relevant departments, field-level arrangements, readiness of vaccination teams, community mobilization, security coordination and monitoring of campaign activities.
The participants discussed key operational requirements and emphasized strengthened interdepartmental coordination to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the campaign.
The District Health Officer and representatives of WHO and DEOC briefed the meeting on the preparations, vaccination teams, monitoring mechanisms and community mobilization arrangements, while the District Police Officer assured the meeting of necessary security coordination and support for vaccination teams.
The DC directed all concerned officers to maintain close coordination, ensure timely completion of assigned responsibilities and closely monitor vaccination activities in the field.
He said that effective monitoring, community participation and coordinated efforts of all stakeholders were essential to achieving the campaign objectives and protecting children against the crippling disease.
The district administration called upon parents and caregivers to cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure that all eligible children receive the polio drops during the campaign.
