Lahore remains Polio-free since April as officials...

Summary

• More than 2.2 million children vaccinated Reviewing the September campaign, the meeting was informed that vaccination teams administered polio drops to more than 2.2 million children across Lahore over six days.
• November campaign preparations underway Dr Asif Arbab Khan emphasised the importance of coordination among district health managers, vaccination teams and campaign supervisors to ensure thorough preparations for the November drive.
• The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from Lahore’s district health management team to improve campaign quality, close implementation gaps and maintain high vaccination coverage.

AI Generated Summary

LAHORE: Lahore has remained free of detected poliovirus since April, but health officials have warned that the threat of the crippling disease persists, urging stronger vaccination campaigns and sustained vigilance ahead of a citywide drive scheduled for November 2–8.

The warning came during a meeting chaired jointly by Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Coordinator Khalid Parvaiz and Lahore Chief Executive Officer Health Dr Asif Arbab Khan to assess the district’s performance and preparations for the upcoming anti-polio campaign.

Officials welcomed Lahore’s continued polio-free status, describing it as an important public health achievement. However, they cautioned that the absence of detected poliovirus does not mean the danger has passed, particularly as population movement and the virus’s continued circulation in parts of Pakistan could expose the city to renewed transmission.