rki.news

Altaf Hamid Rao.

MIRPUR (AJK), April 12 – A total of 73,317 children under the age of five are set to be administered polio vaccine and vitamin A drops in Mirpur district during a four-day national polio eradication campaign starting Monday, April 13, under the auspices of the State Health Department in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), it was officially stated.
Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Sajid Hussain and District Health Officer Dr. Fida Hussain Raja formally inaugurated the campaign at a ceremony held on Sunday by administering polio vaccine and vitamin A drops to children under five.
In Mirpur district, 73,317 children up to five years of age are targeted for immunization during the drive, according to Special Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reporting from Mirpur.
Elaborating on the campaign, DHO Dr. Fida Hussain said 439 mobile teams of the Public Health Department and 42 fixed centers at health facilities have been deployed for the campaign. He added that trained supervisors have been appointed across 36 union councils, municipal committees, and municipal corporations of the district.
He said, in line with WHO instructions, two tehsil supervisors, 35 union council monitoring officers, and 103 union council ward in-charges have been assigned to supervise teams to ensure successful implementation. Polio campaign teams will also be stationed at district entry and exit points.
The anti-polio campaign will continue from April 13 to April 16, 2026, across Mirpur district as well as the rest of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr. Fida Hussain said health department teams will conduct door-to-door visits throughout the district to administer polio and vitamin A drops to all children under five. He stressed that the campaign is not only the responsibility of the government or health department but a national, religious, and moral duty requiring participation from all citizens and segments of society to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.
He said Mirpur district has been divided into 36 union councils and wards for effective coverage, with trained supervisors overseeing administration of drops. Transit points have also been established at 14 locations for children traveling with their parents.
He appealed to the public, as well as government and private school administrations, to cooperate with health teams visiting homes and schools.
He noted that past campaigns have been successful due to strong public cooperation and effective strategy at entry and exit points and in urban and rural areas. He said no polio case has been reported in Azad Kashmir so far due to the sustained efforts of the Health Department.
“Polio cannot be eradicated without public cooperation,” he said, adding that full support for health teams is essential to achieve the goal.
He expressed confidence that the district would achieve the 100 percent target through dedication and teamwork.
Deputy Commissioner Sajid Aslam also appealed to the public to fully cooperate with polio teams to help eliminate the disease.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by MS Divisional Headquarters Hospital Dr. Ijaz Ahmed Raja, Additional Principal Medical Officer Dr. Fatima Yaqoob, Additional DHO Dr. Shumaila Karan, WHO Disease Surveillance Officer Dr. Iram, Dr. Muhammad Junaid, Surveillance Officer IDSR Muhammad Riaz, Assistant Director Surveillance Waqas Ahmed Khan, DSV and District Polio Focal Person Abdul Waheed Jamali, area supervisors, public representatives, and Health Department staff.