MIRPUR (AJK): All is set to start a five-day integrated nationwide polio eradication campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from today (February 3), according to the official sources.
The anti-polio campaign will continue till February 7, 2025 without any break to immunise at least 7, 42, 500 children under five years of age, targeted to be administered Polio vaccine in all 10 districts of the territory, according to the AJK State Health Department.
Elaborating, the authorities at the AJK State Health department said that in AJK’s metropolis – Muzaffarabad, over 1.30 lakh children up to five years of age are targeted to be administered Polio vaccine during the drive.
At least four thousand mobile teams of paramedical staff have been deputed to visit door-to-door to administer polio vaccine drops during the campaign across the AJK. At least 450 centers at local public hospitals and subordinate health facilities, have been established by the State Polio Eradication Committee of the AJK State Health Services Department in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), the officials said.
The total staff involved in the AJK-wide anti-polio drive include mobile teams comprising over 5000 workers for visiting door-to-door to immunize the children of and under 5 years of age with the polio vaccine drops.
The fixed centers will be set up at the government hospitals, basic health units, rural health centers as well as various other spots to vaccinate the children with the anti-polio drops.
The state health department’s Polio Eradication Committee has made adequate arrangements to executive the campaign in an impressive manner. A total of 844 area in-charge will supervise the drive at union council level in 35 tehsils and a total of 245 Union Council throughout AJK State.
Polio control room
A central polio control room will be set up in the office of the Provincial Program Manager, EPI in AJK State’s metropolis Muzaffarabad to monitor the drive besides receiving any complaints. In lake district of Mirpur, at least 76,656 children under five years of age will be administered polio vaccine.
It may be added that the state health authorities have claimed that there had been no case of polio disease detected in any part of AJK during the last 25 years.
