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       PESHAWAR: Speakers at an awareness seminar hereon Wednesday urged social media to create awareness about the significance of essential immunisation to eradicate polio.

       The event was organised by the Emergency Operations Centre Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in collaboration with the Department of Information and Public Relations for key digital media influencers from the province.

       The participants included Deputy Coordinator of EOC Mohammad Zeeshan Khan, officials of the EOC and information department, representatives of UNICEF and WHO, and other relevant officials.

       Coordinator for the Emergency Operations Centre Shafiullah Khan said the role of social media in polio eradication was highly important, so they should contribute effectively towards the national cause of polio eradication by disseminating information, facts and updates about polio, its symptoms and the importance of vaccination, and addressing myths and misconceptions about polio vaccination.

       “Such misinformation and negative propaganda could be addressed through trusted voices of religious scholars and medical professionals as well as social media influencers, opinion leaders and content creators,” he said.

       He said the event was meant to share the major operational and communication challenges in polio eradication before the digital media influencers and to seek their support in addressing those challenges through the power of developing effective and engaging content.

       Communications officer of the Unicef Shadab Younas shed light on the major communication challenges in polio eradication, including myths and misconceptions about vaccines, and misinformation and negative propaganda about polio vaccination at the community level.

       She guided digital influencers on how to address challenges by highlighting the struggles of polio workers and hardships and polio survivors and their families by projecting real life stories and amplifying trusted voices of community influencers in favour of vaccination.

       In a technical presentation on polio eradication, Provincial Disease Surveillance Officer of the World Health Organisation Dr Nabeel Liaqat focused on the origin of polio virus, its epidemiology, different types of the virus and vaccines as well as the significance of polio eradication through regular polio vaccination.

       He sought digital media influencers’ support in building community trust and changing the perception of the people towards vaccine acceptability so that this virus could be wiped out from the country.

       Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2025