QUETTA - New anti-polio campaign will start in Balochistan’s eight districts from Monday (today), said Saeed Faisal Ahmed, the Coordinator Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) on Sunday.
He said polio drops will be administered in 175 union councils of these eight districts. Saeed Faisal said as many as 6,23,563 children under five years of age will be administered anti-polio drops during the venture.
The anti-polio campaign is aimed at wiping out crippling virus from Balochistan which poses a severe threat to the kids, said the coordinator Emergency Operation Center.
In 2017, Pakistan’s third and Balochistan first polio case surfaced in the current month when Ahmed Shah – an eighteen-month-old boy from district Killa Abdullah union council of Mehmoodabad – was tested positive.
“Surfacing of another polio case in Balochistan is really a menacing indication for children which means polio virus still exists in our society and can attack those children who are not immunized with anti-polio drops.”
Preparations have been finalised for the drive, asserted the EOC, for which 1812 polio teams - comprising 1543 mobile teams, 99 transit points and 170 fixed sights – will take part in the drive in 175 union councils of eight districts. The districts enlisted in first phase of polio drive are Barakan, Jaffarabad, Killa Saifullah, Loralai, Musakhail, Nasirabad, Zhob and Sherani where 6,23,563 children under five years of age will be vaccinated with anti-polio swoops.
Saeed said foolproof security arrangements had been undertaken to safeguard polio staffers. Police and Frontier Corps Jawans will escort the teams during the venture to avoid any mishap.
Surfacing of polio cases off course put a question mark on the efforts made in war against this crippling virus.
The coordinator appealed to the parents and put substantial onus on them to extend fullest cooperation with polio workers during the anti-polio drive to vaccinate every child with drops.
He also appreciated the role of civil society, clergies and elected representatives. He said their role was indispensable to mobilise the people against the crippling virus.
The four districts of Quetta, Pishin, Killa Abdullah and Mastung will be covered in next anti-polio drive from July 24.
