KARACHI:Karachi administration on Friday decided to start a communication campaign for parents and community through SMS service to impart awareness of the importance and benefits of vaccination and make the next round of anti-polio campaign a success.
The decision was taken in a meeting held at the Emergency Operation Center with Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Salim Rajput in the chair while Coordinator Emergency Operations Center Irshad Sodhar, Chief of UNICEF Polio Team in Pakistan Melissa Corkum, representatives of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, senior police and health officials attended.
The meeting reviewed arrangements for the week-long anti-polio campaign starting from January 8 across the province while all Deputy Commissioners were briefed in detail about campaign arrangements and objectives in their respective districts through web link.
To make the campaign successful and eliminate the polio virus from Karachi the meeting decided to form special te
ams to carry out the campaign effectively in high-risk areas and deployment of police force to protect the polio vaccine.
It was also decided that the micro plan of anti-polio campaign would be updated every month and the deputy commissioners concerned would prepare the micro plan of their respective district in consultation with the health department officers especially the Union Council Medical Officers, polio teams and international partners.
The Commissioner asked the deputy commissioners to take priority steps to mobilize the Union Council Medical Officers and Polio teams and strengthen the communication between them to ensure that no child misses out on polio shots.
He directed that special teams should be formed to deal with remaining denial cases where parents earlier refused to vaccinate their children.
The deputy commissioners informed the meeting that special plans were made to cover the denial cases in high risk union councils.