Chief Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Uzma Kardar has expressed provincial government’s commitment to eradicate polio from the province.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Pakistan’s correspondent, Qasim Bukhari, she said that the polio vaccine is the most effective and reliable solution to prevent the spread of the virus.

She said that environmental samples of the polio virus collected from various areas of Lahore were influenced by factors such as the Afghan border and the movement of people across regions. To address this, December 21 and 22 have been designated as catch-up days in the ongoing polio campaign in Lahore, with special attention given to missed and refusal cases.

As of the fifth day of the current anti-polio drive in Lahore, a total of 2,078,439 children have been administered polio drops. Uzma Kardar assured that the remaining targets will be met during the catch-up days.

Under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, polio teams across the province are making significant progress towards eradicating the virus.

In response to a question, she explained that every anti-polio campaign also undergoes third-party validation by WHO, UNICEF, and other organizations.

Reflecting on the success of previous campaigns, she pointed out that significant milestones were achieved during the campaigns of September and October this year. She said efforts to achieve full coverage in the ongoing December 2024 campaign continue with positive results.

Replying to a question, Uzma Kardar said that capacity-building sessions are conducted for polio workers before every campaign. She informed that Union Council Monitoring Officers (UCMOs) prepare micro-plans and clusters to ensure the campaign runs effectively.

The Focal Person also underscored the importance of collaboration between the government, media, and the public to successfully combat polio.

She informed that she has personally visited several regions, including Bahawalpur, migrant populations, remote Cholistan areas, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Multan, to oversee the progress of polio campaigns.

Uzma Kardar expressed satisfaction with the ongoing efforts and affirmed that, under the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Punjab is on track to be declared a polio-free province by 2025.