Namchi, Dec 17: The Additional District Collector (ADC) Namchi, Ms. Tirsang Tamang, chaired a meeting of the District Task Force for Immunization (DTFI) at the District Administrative Centre on Tuesday to review preparedness for the upcoming National Immunization Day (NID) and Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization (IPPI) campaign, scheduled from 21 to 23 December 2025.
Opening the meeting, the ADC underscored the district’s commitment to maintaining zero-polio status, stressing the need for effective planning, inter-departmental coordination, and active community mobilisation. Discussions focused on micro-planning, booth management, deployment of health personnel and volunteers, awareness generation, and district-level monitoring mechanisms to ensure comprehensive coverage of all eligible children.
The ADC urged stakeholders to adhere to the planned timelines and to work in close coordination to ensure the smooth and successful execution of the Pulse Polio campaign.
Providing a technical briefing, Dr. B.K. Chauhan outlined the clinical and public health implications of poliomyelitis. He noted that the disease primarily affects young children and can result in irreversible paralysis, emphasising that there is no cure globally. Vaccination, he said, remains the only reliable strategy for preventing polio, and global eradication continues to be a pressing international priority.
Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Ms. Bijay Laxmi Rai informed the meeting that NID 2025 will commence on 21 December, with 176 vaccination booths to be established across prominent and accessible locations in the district. In addition to booth-based immunization, health teams will conduct house-to-house visits over 2–5 days to ensure coverage of children aged 0–5 years, including those in hard-to-reach areas.
To maximise reach, vaccination teams will also be deployed at transit points and congregation sites, targeting children on the move.
The district aims to cover a target population of 8,512 children during the three-day campaign.
The meeting was attended by key officials including AD Education Mr. Tilak Kr. Chettri, CDPO Mr. Laxman Tamang, Pediatrician Dr. Roshan Poudyal, Health Educator Ms. Reshma Subba, DPHNO Ms. Lalita Tamang, Ms. Jayant, and representatives from the Health and Family Welfare Department and ICDS.
The ADC reiterated that the Pulse Polio initiative remains a critical public health priority and called for sustained cooperation from all departments to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.
