JHELUM VALLEY (Kashmir English): Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Valley Ms Benish Jarral has officially launched the polio vaccination campaign from May 26 to May 30, 2025, by administering drops to children under five.
The inauguration ceremony of the polio vaccination campaign took place in Jhelum Valley and was attended by SP Mirza Zahid Hussain, District Health Officer Dr Tahir Raheem Mughal, Assistant Director Training Madam Qurat-ul-Ain.
Additionally, WHO Surveillance Assistant Director Abdul Jabbar Lone, DSO Dr Ayesha Jarral, District Information Officer Sohail Mughal, MNCH Programme Sajid Azeem Khan, District Polio Focal Person Abrar Sarwar Abbasi, Data Manager Saba Nazir, WHO’s TSA Umar Ali, local journalists, and other officials were also present.
Speaking at the event, Dr Tahir Raheem Mughal stated that Azad Kashmir has remained polio-free for the last 24 years. He expressed hope that the same success would continue in the future, with consistent efforts until the disease is completely eradicated.
Deputy Commissioner Benish Jarral, who also chairs the District Polio Eradication Committee, praised the efforts of the Health Department in Jhelum Valley.She urged parents, teachers, lawyers, public servants, and all citizens to support the teams visiting homes and ensure that every eligible child receives the vaccine.
According to District Polio Focal Person Abrar Sarwar Abbasi, the campaign targets 43,146 children under the age of five.
Under the leadership of the District Health Officer, 20 Union Councils will be covered by three tehsil supervisors, 20 union council supervisors, 71 area in-charges, 292 mobile teams, 42 fixed sites, and 17 transit teams.
The campaign includes Vitamin A drops given to 4,314 infants between six months and one year, as well as 38,831 preschool-age children between one and five years old.
Polio vaccinations in Jhelum Valley are moving the community toward a bright future by keeping the region protected from polio through teamwork and awareness.
In another instance, the Polio Vaccination Campaign in Haveli officially began as part of the nationwide effort to eradicate polio. The campaign, which will continue until May 30, aims to immunise more than 28,000 children in the district.
