Chaman holds World Polio Day event; DC urges parents to vaccinate children

CHAMAN: A awareness ceremony was held at the Government Degree College Hall in Chaman on World Polio Day.

The event was attended by Chaman Deputy Commissioner Habib Ahmed Bangulzai, Pakistan Army Commandant Colonel Usman, college principal Ajeeb Khan Marwat, tribal and social leader Haji Mujahid Khan Noorzai, Hafiz Azizullah Azizi, Anjuman-e-Muazzizeen president Inayatullah Bashardost, police officials, officers of the district administration, Polio Communication Officer Ashraf Khan Achakzai, Dr Nadir Achakzai and other officials and stakeholders.

The main aim of the event was to raise public awareness against polio. It also sought to stress the importance of vaccination in protecting children from the crippling disease and the lifelong disability it causes, and to promote a sense of collective responsibility for the complete eradication of polio.

Collective role in ending polio

Addressing the event, Deputy Commissioner Habib Ahmed Bangulzai, Colonel Usman, college principal Ajeeb Khan Marwat and other speakers said the eradication of polio was a national responsibility and a shared priority. They said every member of society, including parents, tribal and social leaders, religious scholars, teachers, the media, the civil administration, security institutions and the health department, had to play an effective role in protecting children from the disease.

The speakers stressed that the only effective way to prevent polio was to give children polio drops in every campaign and to spread authentic information about the vaccine. They said parents should cooperate fully with polio teams and make sure every child under five years of age received the drops, so that no child was left without this protection.

Frontline workers’ services acknowledged

The speakers further said that the complete eradication of polio required the effective use of available resources, a coordinated strategy among institutions, public cooperation and encouragement for the polio workers serving on the frontline. They said polio workers and security personnel were performing their duties in difficult conditions and playing an important role in securing children’s future and building a healthy society.

During the event, tribute was paid to polio workers serving on the frontline, and their hard work, dedication and performance of a national duty were praised. The participants pledged that joint efforts would continue to make the whole country, including Chaman, free of polio, and that all the institutions concerned would keep playing their part in ensuring that every child received the polio vaccine.

At the end of the event, certificates of appreciation were distributed among those who had rendered outstanding service, journalists and other participants. The participants reaffirmed that protecting children from polio was not merely a medical need but a guarantee of a bright, healthy and secure future for coming generations.

Photo: courtesy DGPR Balochistan