In a bid to safeguard children from polio, a statewide Pulse Polio Vaccination Campaign was launched across the district on March 3, 2024, in line with the statewide initiative.
Under the initiative, the administration targets to ensure that all children between the ages of 0 to 5 years receive their previous dose of the polio vaccine.
Ramesh Chavan, Chief Executive Officer of the District Council, highlighted the importance of the campaign during a meeting of the District Task Force Committee, urging parents and guardians to ensure that their children do not miss out on this crucial vaccination.
Sachin Desai, District Health Officer, also addressed the significance of the campaign, mentioning that 405 health supervisors have been appointed to oversee its implementation in every village and ward. Health workers, Anganwadi workers, and ASHA volunteers will also be present to ensure maximum coverage.
The campaign aims to reach more than five lakh children across rural and urban areas. Meticulous planning has been undertaken to identify and visit every child within this age group, including those from migrant families, sugarcane cutters, and construction workers.
In case any child misses the vaccination on the designated day, arrangements have been made to administer the dose from March 5 to 7 in rural areas and from March 5 to 9 in urban areas, ensuring that no child is left unprotected.
This initiative underscores the collective effort to maintain India's polio-free status and protect the health and well-being of its youngest citizens.
Speaking to Free Press Journal, Ganesh Todkari, Medical Officer, PMC (Janata Vasahat OPD), said, “To sustain Bharat as a Polio-Free country, the decision has been taken. Citizens should actively participate in the programme. We are a polio-free country, but a few neighbouring countries are not. Such steps have been taken to prevent polio from recurring in India."
A total of 5,76,447 children from rural areas aged 0 to 5 years and 77,649 children from urban areas will receive the polio dose. Careful planning has been undertaken to personally visit all children aged 0 to 5 years and administer the polio dose, including those from migrant families, sugarcane cutters, and construction workers.
If a child misses taking the dose on the day of the Pulse Polio Vaccination, arrangements have been made to administer the polio dose in rural areas from March 5 to 7 (3 days) and in urban areas from March 5 to 9 (5 days) during the Intensive Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme.
