LAHORE: The Punjab government’s efforts to eradicate polio have achieved a significant milestone, as all environmental samples collected throughout the province during March—including samples from Lahore, Rawalpindi, and South Punjab—have tested negative for the virus.
This development was highlighted during a meeting of the Provincial Task Force for Polio Eradication at the Civil Secretariat, where health officials and administrative leaders gathered to finalise a new roadmap for maintaining a virus-free environment.
Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir termed the negative results a major achievement for the government’s health initiatives.
He noted that under the chief minister’s leadership, the province is mobilised to eliminate the disease at its roots.
The minister issued directives to ensure the success of the upcoming national immunisation campaign, scheduled to begin on Monday (April 13), emphasising that routine immunisation coverage must also be expanded to strengthen children’s overall immunity against diseases.
Reinforcing the administrative commitment, Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman directed the health department and district authorities to maintain seamless coordination.
All deputy commissioners have been tasked with the direct supervision of the campaign within their respective jurisdictions to ensure that every child is reached and no refusals or missed cases remain.
Providing a technical briefing on the upcoming drive, polio eradication programme In-charge Adeel Tasawar announced a target of vaccinating over 23.3 million children across Punjab.
To achieve this, a massive workforce of more than 200,000 frontline workers will be deployed. The campaign is structured to run for seven days in Lahore and four days in other districts.
All divisional and deputy commissioners across the province attended the meeting via a video link.
Published in The NEWS on April 11, 2026.
