Telangana Achieves 101.4 Percent Coverage In Statewide Pulse Polio Campaign

The Telangana Health Department has successfully completed its statewide Pulse Polio immunization campaign, exceeding its target to achieve an overall coverage of 101.4 percent. The drive was aimed at protecting young children across the state and maintaining Telangana’s polio-free status.

According to official estimates from the health department, the state of Telangana has around 4,097,749 children in the zero to five age group. However, during the immunization drive, a total of 4,153,185 children were administered the oral polio drops, surpassing the initial expectations and target set by the government.

Health officials stated that the high coverage rate was made possible through a strategic combination of static polio booths and extensive door-to-door visits. The door-to-door campaign was specifically designed to identify, track, and vaccinate children who had been missed during the initial phases of the drive.

To ensure that no child was left out of the immunization programme, the health department organized and conducted special drives in high-risk and vulnerable areas. These targeted efforts took place in construction sites, migrant labor colonies, slums, child care homes, and other high-risk pockets across the state.

State Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha congratulated the massive team of healthcare workers and officials who executed the campaign. He extended his appreciation to doctors, health officials, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers, Anganwadi staff, and volunteers, along with other frontline personnel, for their dedicated efforts in making the programme a success.

The Health Minister also expressed his gratitude to parents across Telangana for their active participation in the campaign, noting that their cooperation in bringing children to receive the polio drops was crucial. Rajanarsimha reiterated that the state government remains fully committed to maintaining Telangana's polio-free status and will continue to stay vigilant to safeguard the health of every child. He added that the success of the program was a direct result of public cooperation combined with the tireless efforts of the health department staff.