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PESHAWAR, May 20 (APP): A meeting of the Provincial Task Force for Polio Eradication was held on Tuesday with Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shahab Ali Shah, in the chair.
The meeting reviewed the province’s ongoing efforts to eradicate polio and finalized preparations for the upcoming National Immunization Days (NID) campaign, scheduled to be conducted across all districts from May 26 to 30.
The meeting was attended by administrative secretaries, senior officers from law enforcement agencies, representatives of international partner organizations including UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Coordinator of the Provincial Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, officials from the National EOC in Islamabad, as well as all Commissioners, Regional Police Officers, Deputy Commissioners, District Police Officers, and District Health Officers participated via video link.
The Coordinator of the Provincial EOC briefed the meeting on the progress made on decisions from previous task force meetings and outlined the strategy for the upcoming NID campaign.
The campaign aims to vaccinate over 6.5 million children under the age of five. The forum was informed that staff training for the campaign had been completed, and local influencers were being engaged in select areas to boost community participation. It was noted that due to a coordinated strategy during the April round, the number of Union Councils facing operational challenges had been reduced from 276 to 166.
Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah emphasized the importance of building upon the lessons learned during the April campaign to improve the quality and impact of the upcoming May round.
He directed all Deputy Commissioners and District Health Officers to thoroughly review their micro plans and maintain close coordination with field teams to enhance campaign effectiveness through improved training and monitoring.
He stressed the need to ensure success in Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) surveys and instructed the establishment of transit vaccination points to target children on the move. Special micro planning was also directed for tourist-heavy regions, particularly in Malakand and Hazara divisions, to ensure vaccination of visiting children.
The Chief Secretary further directed that any detection of the poliovirus through environmental sampling must be addressed promptly by the concerned Deputy Commissioners in coordination with relevant departments.
He emphasized the tracing and vaccination of children who were missed in previous rounds.
He noted that the quality of micro plans, effective staff training, and a robust monitoring system were critical for improving the overall performance of the campaign.
CS Shahab Ali Shah made it clear that the performance of Deputy Commissioners and District Health Officers in polio eradication would be considered a key component in their overall evaluations to ensure accountability at the district level.
The forum also received a detailed briefing on routine immunization efforts. The Chief Secretary highlighted that strengthening routine immunization systems would reduce the burden on polio campaigns and provide long-term protection for children.