The Lower Dir district administration has finalised preparations for a cervical cancer prevention vaccination campaign targeting 116,110 girls aged 9 to 14 across 41 union councils.
The preparations were reviewed during a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Lower Dir Basharat Ahmad Khan. Assistant commissioners, the District Health Officer, the Chief Executive of Timergara Headquarters Hospital, the District Education Officer (Female), representatives of the Population Welfare and Social Welfare departments, Rescue 1122, journalists and officials from other relevant departments attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the EPI Coordinator briefed participants on the campaign and said that 158 teams had been formed to administer the protective vaccine to eligible girls across the district.
Vaccination At Schools, Madrasas And Community Level
Deputy Commissioner Basharat Ahmad Khan directed all concerned departments to use available resources to ensure the campaign’s success and achieve the assigned targets within the stipulated timeframe.
He instructed the District Education Officer (Female) to hold meetings with school principals, head teachers and teachers to inform them about the vaccination drive.
The deputy commissioner also directed the District Khateeb to brief madrasa administrators and religious scholars about the importance of the campaign and seek their cooperation.
He said eligible girls aged 9 to 14 would be able to receive the vaccine at schools, madrasas and community-level locations.
Public Awareness Drive To Begin
The meeting decided to launch a public awareness and social mobilisation campaign ahead of the vaccination drive. Religious scholars, journalists and media representatives were urged to raise awareness through print, electronic and social media.
The deputy commissioner also ordered the formation of a dedicated WhatsApp group involving relevant departments and partner organisations. The group will help officials report field-level challenges promptly and coordinate solutions.
He further directed the Education Department to extend full support to Health Department teams and ensure that the campaign targets were achieved on time.
Basharat Ahmad Khan expressed confidence that cooperation among government departments and public awareness would help make the vaccination campaign successful.