Tourists raise fear of polio transmission

K-P govt to launch anti-polio campaign in four districts

PESHAWAR: In an attempt to prevent polio transmission from tourists, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has planned a special three-day polio drive in four districts from Tuesday (today), officials said.

The planned campaign will be carried out in the districts of Swabi, Buner, Haripur and Tor Ghar. A huge number of tourists visit northern parts of the province during the summer season, increasing the chances of virus transmission, officials said, adding that this is why repeated campaigns are being held in areas adjacent to the province.

During the campaign, around 0.66 million children will be vaccinated against the virus. A total of 2,379 polio teams have been constituted, including 2,032 mobile, 224 fixed, 113 transit and 10 roaming teams, to make the campaign a success. Additionally, around 3,384 personnel have been deployed to provide security cover to the polio teams.

The decision to conduct fresh anti-polio campaigns came after a meeting between K-P Emergency Operation Centre Co-ordinator Akbar Khan and Technical Focal Person Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation Dr Imtiaz, representatives of Unicef, WHO, among others. They reviewed the progress made by the province and reviewed preparedness reports submitted by the officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2017.