PESHAWAR   -   Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister of Awqaf, Hajj, and Religious Affairs Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri, along with prominent religious scholars, has officially launched the anti-polio campaign starting from September 9, aimed at vaccinating over 6.425 million children under five years of age in the province.

The first phase of the campaign will cover 27 districts, including Bannu, North and South Waziristan, Malakand, Swat, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Chitral, Bajaur, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, and all districts of Peshawar, Mardan, and Kohat divisions, targeting 5.754 million children. The second phase, set for September 23, will vaccinate over 672,000 children.

A total of 35,259 teams, including 24,862 mobile teams, 7,300 observers, and 1,724 fixed teams, have been formed to administer polio drops. Additionally, 7,175 area in-charges will oversee the teams, while 50,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure their safety during the campaign.

ABBOTTABAD: Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Khalid Iqbal on Friday officially inaugurated the district’s anti-polio campaign for September 2024 by administering polio and Vitamin A drops to children. The campaign will run from 9th to 13th September 2024, targeting children under the age of five across 54 Union Councils (UCs) of the district.

After the official launch, Deputy Commissioner Khalid Iqbal chaired a meeting of the District Polio Eradication Committee to review preparations, including staff training, security arrangements, and the health department’s efforts.

The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 235,697 children under five years of age. A total of 1,636 teams have been formed, including 1,490 mobile teams, 41 transit teams, and 105 fixed teams.

District Polio Control Room Coordinator Dr. Atif Saud briefed the Deputy Commissioner on the health department’s preparations, confirming that all necessary materials and training had been provided to the teams. The Deputy Commissioner emphasized coordinated efforts to ensure no child is left unvaccinated and directed departments to support the campaign. He also urged parents to ensure their children receive polio and Vitamin A drops during the campaign.