Landikotal Like other parts of the country, a three-day anti-polio drive launched in Khyber Agency. In this connection, a ceremony was held here in Jamrud hospital, which was attended besides health officials, by a large number of Maliks and tribal elites. Khalilur Rehman, Assistance Education Officer, was the chief guest. On the occasion, the health officials included Dr Shakeel, Agency Surgeon, Dr Sher Amin, Agency Health Communication Support Officer (AHCSO) and others put light on the importance of the drive and said that it was a national campaign and it was the duty of every citizen to contribute it. Mr Khalil, the chief guest stressed all the responsible people of the society to educate the parents to administer them anti-polio drops and save the next generation of Pakistan from the crippling disease. The elites assured them full support to make the campaign successful. Sharing the details, Dr Shafiq, FSMO, said that the current polio eradication campaign would take place in two tehsils of Khyber i.e. Jamrud and Landikotal as polio programme had been suspended in Bara and Bazaar Zekha khel of Landikotal tehsil due to military operation. Vitamin A drops would be also administered in the current drive, he added. He further said that for the current drive 290 teams had been constituted for the purpose. In which 260 mobiles teams would visit door to door in all the three tehsils of Khyber Agency to administer anti-polio drops to the children. In addition 18 fixed teams administered anti-polio drops in hospital, BHUs and other health centres while 12 transit teams had been deployed in all public transport areas to facilitate the people. On replying a question Dr Shafiq said that a target of 86,000 children below five years had been fixed to be vaccinated in this current special anti-polio drive to be launched from today and will continue till April 28. He also appreciated the assistance of the Political Administration, journalists and religious communities for supporting the campaign. It is the duty of every citizen to motivate the parents of children below five years to feed polio vaccine to their children so that the country could become a polio-free country. It is important to mention here that the health official department has announced the upcoming week as realisation of vaccinations week in the area. 3 polio cases reported in province Director General of Health, Dr Fazal Mahmood, while elaborating Polio status in the province has informed that three polio cases have been reported in the province while nine had been reported in other provinces. He expressed satisfaction over the anti-polio efforts in the province and hoped that soon the situation would be controlled. Dr Bilal, UNICEF Immunization Officer, termed strengthening of the routine immunization for eradication of polio as a must. Immunization Week is a practical step towards improvement of immunisation status as immunization month observed last year in the province has brought encouraging results, he remarked. Explaining the objectives of the Immunisation Week, he said that it was aimed at educating mothers who were the real managers of their houses. He underscored the need of dissemination of the message of the week at grass root level. Dr Mujahid Hussain. Deputy Director, EPI, said that the Immunisation Week was being observed in 21 countries of the world including Pakistan. During this week importance of vaccination against the dreadful diseases of polio. He disclosed that 4.5 million target population of children would be vaccinated in anti-polio drive to be run from April 24 to 28.