Anti-polio drive begins in Pakistan’s tribal areas

The child is being given drops against polio as three-day polio vaccination campaign kicks off in Pakistan’s tribal region. (AN photo)

• Campaign to focus on children in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
• More than 4,000 teams to immunize nearly 900,000 minors

PESHAWAR: A three-day anti-polio program kicked off in the tribal districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Monday with a special focus on Bajaur and Khyber districts, an official in charge of the program said.
“The anti-polio campaign will continue for three consecutive days under the supervision of the district’s health officers, amid tight security,” Dr. Iftikhar Ali, Manager Extension Program Immunization, said, adding that there will be follow-ups to ensure all children have been immunized against the disease.
He said that a total of 896,205 children, below the age of five years, would be vaccinated in the tribal districts, with the help of nearly 4,084 teams of which 3,777 are mobile, 215 fixed and 92 in transit.
Ali said that the drive aims to vaccinate each and every child in the district, after two new cases of polio were reported in Khyber and Bajaur earlier this month. He said that enhanced efforts are in place to actively monitor the targeted areas, warning that the threat from the virus continues to exist as it is still active.
“Parents and caregivers, especially those who are traveling, should be cautious as the only hope of saving their children from lifelong paralysis is anti-polio drops. These are administered by polio workers, who come knocking on your door and are available at nearby health centers to administer the vaccine to children on the move,” he noted. Emphasizing on the need to achieve the goal of zero polio cases from the tribal districts, Ali said that this would only be possible if the authorities succeeded in stopping the transfer of the virus.
In a recent meeting to address the issue, KP Governor Shah Farman said that eradicating polio was a noble cause and remained one of the top priorities of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. “If other countries can succeed in eradicating polio, then Pakistan should make it a reality too,” he said.
Last Friday, while chairing a high-level meeting with the National Task Force on Polio Eradication, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his government would extend full support in stamping out the disease. He had reiterated at the time that the eradication of polio was a national responsibility and no stone would be left unturned in helping Pakistan realize that goal. He also lauded the international community for its unconditional support.