The Samikhsya Bureau
NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind, on Saturday, launched the Pulse Polio Programme for 2021 by administering polio drops to kids at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare were present on the occasion.
The President and the First Lady Savita Kovind administered polio drops to children on the eve of the Polio National Immunization Day, which is observed on the 31st January 2021, Sunday, also popularly known as Polio Ravivar.
Around 17 crore children of less than 5 years of age will be administered polio drops as part of the drive of Government of India to sustain polio free status of the country.
The countrywide drive will be supported by about 24 lakh volunteers, 1.5 lakh supervisors and many Civil Society Organisations, WHO, UNICEF and Rotary.
Healthcare workers will be visiting as many as two crore households to ensure that no child is left without the protection of the polio vaccine.
Among others, Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, Dr Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary (Health), Dr. Roderico Orfin, Country Representative of WHO, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, Country Representative of UNICEF and senior officers of Ministry were present at the event.
