KARACHI: The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme will hold a media engagement session in Islamabad on Tuesday, September 15, bringing together selected health journalists from across Pakistan with senior programme leadership and technical experts to discuss the country’s ongoing efforts to interrupt poliovirus transmission.
The session, scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), will be attended by four journalists each from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Islamabad, along with the Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, National Coordinator, PEI Core Team and relevant technical experts.
From Karachi, Akhtar Shaheen Rind, President of the Health Reporters Association Karachi and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Health Matters Media, will participate in the national media engagement along with HRA Karachi Information Secretary Kanwal Jatoi and journalists Rabia Mushtaq and Shafqat Aziz.
According to the programme agenda, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq will deliver the opening remarks, followed by a programme update from National Coordinator, National Emergency Operations Centre, Mr Anwar-ul-Haq.
The briefing will cover the September Sub-National Immunization Days (SNID), progress towards polio eradication, the programme’s last-mile strategy and key priorities.
A dedicated Media Q&A will provide participating health journalists an opportunity to directly engage with the Prime Minister’s Focal Person and PEI Core Team on the September SNID and wider programme priorities.
The engagement is aimed at providing journalists with an overview of the Programme’s priorities, campaign performance and latest epidemiological and surveillance updates, while facilitating direct discussion with programme leadership and technical experts.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen accurate reporting on polio eradication, address information gaps and improve journalists’ understanding of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme’s priorities and progress.
Following the formal engagement, participating journalists will visit the Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health (NIH).
During the laboratory visit, journalists will receive an orientation on poliovirus testing and surveillance and interact with laboratory experts, providing them first-hand exposure to the Programme’s surveillance and laboratory work.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme continues efforts to interrupt poliovirus transmission through vaccination, surveillance and risk communication, with regular media engagement playing an important role in supporting accurate reporting and strengthening public understanding of the Programme’s priorities and progress.
