QUETTA: The meeting of the Divisional Task Force Committee on polio was held in Quetta to review the overall situation of the ongoing polio eradication efforts across the Quetta.
The session was presided over by Commissioner Quetta Division, Shahzeb Khan, and attended by the Deputy Commissioners of Quetta and Pishin from UNICEF, N-STOP, and WHO. The Deputy Commissioners of Chaman and Killa Abdullah participated online.
In this regard, the government representatives delivered a detailed briefing on the micro-planning process, team training, monitoring mechanisms, and the general progress of the anti-polio campaign.
The committee was informed that the Quetta Block remains highly sensitive in terms of polio risk due to factors including dense population, cold weather conditions, high mobility of residents, and challenges in several high-risk union councils.
In this sense, the target of vaccinating more than 748,000 children has been set across the four districts of the Quetta Block. Over 5,500 polio workers are currently deployed for this purpose. While 14 polio cases were reported in 2024, no new cases have been confirmed so far this year.
However, officials expressed concern over the detection of positive environmental samples in various parts of the division, indicating potential transmission risks.
Meanwhile, the meeting also reviewed measures being taken to strengthen monitoring systems to improve team performance.
So far, the special strategies are being implemented for areas where teams face difficulties, as well as for locating missing children, zero-dose cases, and other high-risk zones.
However, Commissioner Kakar directed the Deputy Commissioner of Chaman to take disciplinary action against staff members who created obstacles in the campaign in the Gardi Pinka area. He instructed that those responsible be removed from their positions and that an FIR be registered against them.
Addressing the meeting, Commissioner Kakar emphasized that the Quetta Block remains extremely vulnerable to the poliovirus and stressed the need to ensure that the campaign is effective, transparent, and foolproof. He urged authorities to prioritize high-risk union councils and ensure that no child is left without polio drops.
