Punjab on high alert amid looming threat of polio virus transmission

• Punjab EOC official urges districts to conduct “high quality” campaign.
• More than 200,000 workers will be deployed for the nationwide initiative.
• Four of the 16 “contaminated areas” in Punjab were identified as priority areas.
  

LAHORE: Punjab’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Thursday sounded the alarm over the risk of local circulation of polio in the region, urging districts to conduct a “high-quality” vaccination campaign, which is set to begin on December 16.

These instructions came as EOC coordinator Adeel Tasawar led a meeting to assess the preparedness of the districts for the last campaign of the year, aimed at vaccinating 23.3 million children across the province, The News was mentioned.

“The transmission of polio virus, local or imported, can be stopped only through high-quality campaigns. I urge all districts to implement a quality campaign,” said Tasawar, during the meeting.

He disclosed that more than 200,000 workers will be deployed for this national initiative, which seeks to eliminate the menace of polio in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, which constitutes 50% of the polio eradication programme’s target population.

In August, the province reported the first case of polio in more than 45 months from Chakwal, underscoring the ongoing risk. Meanwhile, the threat of polio virus introduction from areas still affected by the disease remains a major concern.

Currently, 16 districts in Punjab have been classified as contaminated, including Attock, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Okara, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Jhang, Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan.

Among them, four districts — Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Sheikhupura and Sialkot — are identified as priority areas, requiring enhanced surveillance and vaccination efforts. The threat of introduction of the polio virus from areas still affected by the disease remains a major concern.

The remaining 16 regions are classified as “conservation areas”, with a relatively low risk of virus introduction.

In addition, Tasawar highlighted the critical role of district health teams, urging them to take full responsibility for the success of the campaign, as he stressed the importance of accountability and the need for continuous monitoring of vaccination teams.

He called for improved verification of vaccination coverage, particularly for children who missed their doses.

He further disclosed that district health management officers at Tehsil level will be tasked with validating the data submitted by the groups to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.

The EOC coordinator also stressed the need to monitor, record and vaccinate mobile and migrant populations, who are particularly vulnerable to the virus and contribute to its spread to previously unaffected areas.

He called for intensified efforts in high-risk union councils near inter-provincial borders, ensuring enhanced monitoring and supervision in these areas.

Tasawar emphasized the importance of revitalizing transit points, urging district administrations to focus strongly on these locations. He encouraged parents to vaccinate their children through teams deployed at these crossing points.

Finally, the head of the EOC reaffirmed the government’s commitment to stop the spread of the virus, both local and imported.