Anti-polio Campaign Begins Monday

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Nov, 2018 ) :A three-day oral polio vaccination (OPV) campaign is starting in Tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Monday with increased focus on vaccinating every child in Bajaur and Khyber Districts.

Three-day anti-polio campaign will continue from November 12 to November 14, under the supervision and security provided by District Health Officers, Deputy Commissioners, and security forces, which will be followed by catch up of missed children and surveillance, said the spokesman on Sunday.

Total of 896,205 children, below the age of five years, will be vaccinated with only oral polio vaccination in seven Tribal Districts by 4084 teams, comprising 3777 mobile teams, 215 fixed teams and 92 transit teams.

Programme Manager EPI/PEI Dr Iftikhar Ali said that there will be increased focus on vaccinating every child, especially, children on the move, in the tribal districts, particularly Bajaur and Khyber districts, as two polio cases from Bajaur and one from Khyber have been confirmed since last anti-polio campaign in September 2018. He said enhanced efforts have been planned for improving the quality and increase monitoring in Bajaur and Khyber districts during this campaign.

Dr Iftikhar Ali said virus is still in circulation and could strike to harm any unimmunized child. Parents and caregivers, especially those who are on travel, should be cautious as only hope of saving their children from lifelong paralysis is anti-polio drops administered by polio workers who come to knock on your door, available at nearby health centers and administer vaccine to children on the move at transit points.

In a recent meeting for Tribal Districts Polio Coordination, held at Governor House last week Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman termed polio eradication as a noble cause which is one of the top most priorities of current Government.

He expressed that if other countries succeeded in eradicating polio then we should also make polio eradication a reality.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also chaired a meeting of National Task Force on Polio Eradication in Islamabad last week. He reiterated commitment of the Federal and provincial governments towards polio eradication by continuing to provide every possible required support.

The Prime Minister said Polio eradication is a national cause and every effort would be made to make Pakistanpolio free country.