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LAHORE, Apr 21 (APP):Commissioner Lahore Division Zaid bin Maqsood chaired a meeting on the National Polio Eradication Action Plan, during which ongoing strategies were reviewed and directives were issued to enhance micro-level planning.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Polio Coordination, and key partner organizations.
During the briefing, WHO officials acknowledged that substantial work is being carried out in Lahore to combat polio. However, they emphasized the need to intensify efforts at the micro level, noting that along with ensuring that children remain polio-free, it is equally critical that environmental samples also test negative for the virus.
The WHO representatives praised Lahore’s micro-population mapping as a model of excellence and announced that upstream environmental sampling will also be initiated to enhance surveillance quality.
Focal Person for National Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq stressed that declaring an area polio-free is only possible through collective, coordinated efforts at all administrative levels.
Deputy Commissioner Lahore Syed Musa Raza gave a detailed presentation on the district’s planning and preparedness, stating that digital micro-planning of Lahore’s vast population ensures 100 percent coverage of every household and locality during anti-polio drives.
Commissioner Zaid bin Maqsood highlighted that polio vaccination is being ensured at all transit points, nomadic settlements, and informal dwellings. He added that environmental and trace-back sampling using scientific methods will further strengthen eradication efforts. “Polio is a disease that causes lifelong disability; its complete eradication demands 100 percent performance from every sector involved,” he asserted.
The meeting was also attended by National Polio Coordinator Captain Anwar, Director for Polio in Eastern Mediterranean Countries Hamid Jafari, WHO Team Head Dr. Muhammad Sagheer, Strategic Advisor Dr. Safdar, Fatima from UNICEF; and other senior officials.