PESHAWAR - More than 5.7 million children under the age of five will receive anti-polio vaccine along with vitamin A drops in the upcoming round of anti-polio starting today in all districts of the province.
This was informed in a review meeting held here at Emergency Operations Centre Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with EOC Coordinator Abid Wazir in the chair.
Technical Focal Person BMGF Dr Imtiaz Ali Shah, Team Leader UNICEF Dr Johar Khan, Team Leader WHO Dr Abdi Nasir, and Provincial Team Lead N Stop Dr Ijaz Ali Shah were also present on the occasion.
The meeting was informed that all necessary logistic and security arrangements have been made and trainings of the teams have been conducted to capacitate them with the required information and skills necessary for carrying out a successful campaign.
It was told that a total of 21,948 teams have been constituted for the campaign out of which 19,251 are mobile teams, 1,620 fixed, 895 transit and 182 roaming teams while 5,060 area in charges were deputed to ensure quality of the campaign.
More than 30 thousand security personnel have been deployed in the province to provide security cover to the teams, the meeting was informed.
Speaking on the occasion, Coordinator EOC Abid Wazir said that the province has made tremendous progress in the fight against polio.
He emphasised the need for immunisation in every round of anti-polio drive till the circulation of the virus stops and all children are protected from lifelong disability.
He said that virus was circulating in Pakistan and Afghanistan and it will not stop unless we reach every child in every round of campaign.
Abid Wazir urged media to educate people about the significance of the vaccination which was the only solution for defeating the virus that was at large looking for the unvaccinated children with weak gut immunity.
He said that the polio virus travels from one place to another and even travels from one country to another and was therefore a threat to all children.
Referring to the recent positive polio case in Charsadda, he said that although it was sad news as it tells us about virus circulation in the environment, on the other hand it also showed success of vaccination as the child hit by virus has no weakness or disability.
First polio case of the province was reported from Charsadda district while three others were reported from Dukki Balochistan in 2018 so far.