MIRPUR: A 5-day integrated nationwide polio eradication campaign is set to begin in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, aiming to immunize 742,500 children less than 5 years of age.
The campaign, scheduled from February 26 to March 1, 2024, will cover all 10 districts of the region.
To accomplish this goal, 3,995 mobile teams of paramedical staff will be deployed to administer polio vaccine drops door-to-door. Additionally, 448 fixed centres will be established at local government hospitals and health facilities.
These efforts are coordinated by the State Polio Eradication Committee in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
In Muzaffarabad, the capital city, over 120,000 children are targeted for vaccination. Similar initiatives will be carried out in other districts, with Mirpur aiming to vaccinate 73,082 children under 5 years of age.
A total of 169 transit points will be set up for the campaign, supervised by designated area in-charges. The state health department has allocated 844 area in-charges to o
versee the drive at the union council level, covering 35 tehsils and 245 Union Councils throughout AJK.
Furthermore, a central polio control room will be established in Muzaffarabad to monitor the campaign and address any complaints.
The campaign’s success hinges on the cooperation of parents, who are urged to facilitate the vaccination of their children by mobile paramedical staff teams. District Health Officers, like Dr. Fida Hussain in Mirpur, are overseeing preparations, ensuring that mobile teams and fixed centres are operational.
These efforts are part of a larger initiative to maintain AJK’s polio-free status, with no reported cases in the past 24 years.
The state health authorities remain vigilant in their commitment to eradicating polio from the region.
In summary, the upcoming 5-day polio eradication campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is a coordinated effort involving thousands of healthcare workers and officials. With meticulous planning and community participation, the region aims to protect
its children from the threat of polio and maintain its polio-free status.