THE POLIO CONTROL CELL-AN INSPIRATIONAL SUCCESS STORY
In his capacity as CEO of a news channel, Amir Jahangir has constantly demonstrated exceptional leadership skills based on an innovative and out-of-the-box approach. He has successfully challenged the status quo, taking previously unheard of concepts and translated them into tangible outcomes. The biggest example of this is the establishment of the Polio Control Cell.
The success of this initiative becomes all the more inspirational given the numerous first-of-their-kind ideas involved in the whole project. One common business trend in the Pakistani media has seen channels run advertisements based on government and private sale rates. Mr. Jahangir single handedly changed the paradigm by making SAMAA TV the first media channel in Pakistan to establish a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan and UNICEF Pakistan. This partnership established the Polio Control Cell making it a united fight against the polio virus in Pakistan. This project initiated the spirit of the pro bono role, which the media could play, making the Polio Control Cell a role model of public private partnerships aimed at improving the health indicators of Pakistan. These indicators play a crucial role in the global ranking of Pakistan in accordance to the Global Competitiveness Index.
The Polio Control Cell was established at SAMAA offices and the electronic awareness campaigns were carried out by SAMAA free of cost.
In a backdrop where despite an on-going battle against the virus, new cases continued to be reported, the Polio Control Cell aimed at acting as an information bridge between the citizens and the polio control authorities. One of the most vital tasks performed by the cell was identification of missed areas and children during the national polio campaigns through phone calls from parents and concerned citizens from the length and breadth of the country.
Since its establishment in October 2008, more than 35,000 children have been ensured the vaccination against the polio virus, who otherwise would have been included as the missed targets during the campaigns.
The awards, recognition and praises garnered by the Polio Control Cell from both national and International quarters are a testament to the success of Mr. Jahangir’s vision and a source of pride for the country. However, not the one to merely content himself with distinctions and financial benefits for his organization, Mr. Jahangir took his vision a step further by engaging other public and private media channels in the initiative to increase the outreach of the Polio Control Cell Program. This was the first time in the history of Pakistan where government, media and multilateral donors were seen at one platform that created value and safeguarded the future of 35 million children in Pakistan.
Under Amir Jahangir’s able leadership, the polio control cell was able to successfully fill the management and communication gaps of the previous campaigns and present a model that was efficient, transparent and moreover a concerted effort.
