District Task Force reviews comprehensive strategy to ensure universal Pulse Polio coverage

way2barak, June 4: — In a concerted effort to strengthen child health protection and sustain the district’s polio-free status, the District Administration, Cachar in collaboration with the District Health Society, Cachar, convened a District Task Force Committee (DTFC) meeting on National Immunization Day (NID) at the New Conference Hall of the District Commissioner’s Office, Cachar here on Thursday.

The meeting was presided over by Monojyoti Kutum, Additional District Commissioner (incharge Health), Cachar. Dr. Sumona Naiding, Joint Director of Health Services, Cachar, Rahul Ghose, District Programme Manager, Dr. M. I. Barbhuiya, Additional Chief Medical & Health Officer (FW), Cachar, Dr. Arkadeb Kar, Surveillance Medical Officer, World Health Organization (WHO), Mithun Johari, Inspector of Schools, Cachar,Bappa Deb, Deputy DEMO, Debasish Shome, President, Rotary Club Silchar 2026, Gourav Paul, President, Rotary Club Silchar 2027-28, representatives from the Social Welfare Department, Deshbandhu Club and officials from various health institutions and block-level health offices across the district also participated in the meeting.

Welcoming the participants, ADC(incharge Health) Monojyoti Kutum, underscored the significance of National Immunization Day as a vital public health initiative aimed at safeguarding every child against poliomyelitis. He stressed the importance of coordinated action among all stakeholder departments and organizations to ensure that no eligible child is left uncovered. He called upon all concerned agencies to work with dedication, efficiency and a sense of collective responsibility to achieve the objectives of the Pulse Polio campaign and maintain the district’s commitment to child health and welfare.

A comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on the global status of polio eradication and vaccination was delivered by Dr. Arkadeb Kar, Surveillance Medical Officer of the World Health Organization who highlighted the current global epidemiological scenario, achievements made in polio eradication, emerging challenges and the critical importance of maintaining high immunization coverage to prevent any resurgence of the disease.

Detailed discussions were also held on planning, preparedness, interdepartmental coordination, community mobilization and implementation strategies for the forthcoming National Immunization Day. Special emphasis was laid on effective micro-planning and active participation of all stakeholder departments, particularly the ICDS network to ensure maximum outreach and coverage of eligible children in every corner of the district.

During the meeting, President of Rotary club Silchar, Debasish Shome also highlighted the significant contribution of Rotary International towards the global fight against polio was also highlighted. He also stated that Rotary’s commitment to immunization dates back to 1979 when nearly six million children were vaccinated against polio in the Philippines, an initiative that laid the foundation for Rotary becoming a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched in 1988. He informed that polio eradication continues to remain Rotary’s flagship humanitarian service project worldwide.

He further stated that Rotary Club Silchar has been rendering valuable services through its Permanent Immunization Centre at Trunk Road, Silchar and will also extend cooperation with District Health society and District administration cachar by promoting routine immunization and child health initiatives etc.

It’s worth mentioning that to achieve the target of vaccinating 2,78,073 children in the 0 to 5 years age group, Cachar district has planned a total of 1,335 vaccination booths, including 1,208 General Booths, 59 Difficult Booths, 28 Institutional Booths, 38 Transit Booths and 2 Mobile Teams. For successful execution of the programme, 5,280 frontline workers, 267 supervisors and Medical Officers have been deployed across the district.

Notably, as per the action plan, Pulse Polio Booths will be operational on 28th June , 2026, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, where vaccination teams will administer two drops of bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) to all eligible children below five years of age. This will be followed by intensive house to house visits over the next two days to ensure that every eligible child is reached and no household remains uncovered.

While speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sumona Naiding, Joint Director of Health Services, Cachar, directed all concerned health officials to formulate and implement a robust and result-oriented strategy to ensure complete vaccination coverage of all children below five years of age, including those visiting or temporarily residing in the district during the campaign period. She emphasized that meticulous planning, vigilant supervision and effective field-level execution would be crucial to achieving the goal of universal immunization coverage.

Earlier, Dr. M. I. Barbhuiya, Additional Chief Medical & Health Officer (FW), Cachar, urged all line departments, particularly the ICDS Department and Health Department personnel, to extend their fullest cooperation and commitment towards the programme. He highlighted that coordinated efforts at every level would be instrumental in ensuring that every eligible child receives the life-saving vaccine and that the campaign successfully fulfils its objective of protecting children from polio.

The meeting concluded with a collective resolve from all participating departments and stakeholders to work in close coordination and ensure the successful implementation of National Immunization Day across Cachar district.

This is stated in a press release issued by the Regional Office of Information & Public Relations, Barak Valley Zone, Silchar, Assam.