Decision to resign drive against polio in City

KARACHI: A meeting of Commissioner Karachi Polio Task Force was held under the chairmanship of Commissioner Karachi Navid Ahmed Shaikh that decided to redesign the strategy of micro plan for implementation of anti-polio campaign to make the city Polio Free. In this connection it was decided that the monitoring system would also be reviewed to improve and special training would be imparted to the polio teams so as to required targets for the coverage of administering polio drops to the children up to the age of 5 years could be achieved, says a Press release.
The meeting decided that the micro plan to be devised would be as per SOPs notified by the government. The meeting expressed satisfaction over the performance of the Anti-Polio campaign held during the previous month in which 96 percent of target of the coverage was achieved.
Commissioner Navid Shaikh directed the deputy commissioners to carry out the efforts with better coordination in coordination with all the stake holders including the international partners such as WHO, UNICEF and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations.
The Commissioner asked the DCs to make all out efforts to achieve the 100 percent targets for the coverage in future. He stressed the need to work with close coordination with all stake holders and take all out efforts on priority basis for the eradication of polio virus.
He said there is need to improve the monitoring system to improve and to impart training to polio teams according to the micro plan devised for better implementation.
The meeting was briefed that the most of the Malir, East and Central District Administrations efforts have been successful to cover missed children including refusal.
He asked the DCs to engage the parents as well as the religious leaders and other community members of the society to ensure all missed children we’re coveted He said special efforts should be made to cover the missed and missed children.
The meeting was attended among others by the Additional Commissioner Karachi Asad Ali khan, Coordinator Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Fayaz Abbasi team lead of WHO for polio eradication based in Islamabad Hamish young and team lead of UNICEF for Polio Eradication based in Islamabad Zaindul Abedin Representative of Bill and Milenda Gates Founation Dr. Ahmed Ali Shaikh and all the deputy commissioners.