K-P government adopts new strategy to eliminate diseases

Young Sehat Muhafiz is a joint venture by K-P EOC, UNICEF and K-P directorate of elementary and secondary education .

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has adopted a new strategy to prevent the spread of diseases, specifically polio and dengue virus, across the province.

‘Young Sehat Muhafiz’ is a strategy that focuses on educating children in schools and will be launched simultaneously with the anti-polio vaccination campaigns to help build positive relationship between the community and Sehat Muhafiz (vaccinators), said officials.

Young Sehat Muhafiz is a joint venture by K-P Emergency Operations Center (EOC),  United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and K-P directorate of elementary and secondary education. It includes ‘Sehat Muhafiz’ games, Info- fairs and health classes.

According to officials dealing with anti-polio campaigns in the province, efforts to eliminate polio virus from the province have yielded positive results as not even a single poliovirus case has been reported for over a year. This, they said, was the outcome of creating awareness among the people besides launching the campaigns.

“You can carry out a campaign but if you don’t make people realise how important it is for their children’s future, you hardly make any progress,” a senior health official said.

Some 5.620 million children will be vaccinated during campaigns that would start today across K-P for which, 20,388 teams have been constituted. Besides 30,000 security personnel have been deployed to provide security to polio workers.

On the other hand, officials involved in anti-dengue programmes have also been shifted towards schools after around 41 doctors visited over 69 educational institutions across 12 union councils educating some 28,954 children in three days.

According to officials, besides schools, awareness sessions will be held in colleges as well.

Currently 358 people are admitted at different health facilities where 26 people have so far died due to the viral infection.

Meanwhile, a three-day anti polio vaccination campaign will also begin in Fata today under the supervision of political agents, commissioners and armed forces.

The anti-polio campaign in some parts of Khyber Agency, North Waziristan Agency and South Waziristan Agency, however, will be launched on September 25.

Community based vaccination staff have been hired to carry out the campaigns in these areas. Newly hired teams will be trained to reach out and vaccinate every child during the campaign.

“I appreciate the efforts of Fata EOC, agency teams and our brave frontline workers, who surpass many challenges to reach out to children in their homes,” said K-P Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra

Fata EOC Coordinator Dr Fida Mohammad Wazir said, “All-out efforts shall be made to eradicate polio virus”. He reminded the FATA EOC team to follow National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP) 2017-2018 guidelines in letter and spirit.