Three-day anti-polio drive kicks off

Campaign targets 1.7m children under the age of five

QUETTA: A three-day anti-polio campaign will kick off in a majority of the districts of Balochistan on Monday (today) in which more than 1.7 million children will be given polio drops.

Emergency Operation Centre Coordinator Syed Faisal Ahmed said, “6,067 mobile teams, 521 fixed points and 413 transit points have been established to administer polio drops to children below the age of five.

“Security arrangements for the anti-polio campaign have been finalised across the province as Frontier Corps, police and Levies personnel are taking part in providing security to the polio staff.”



This year only three new polio cases have surfaced in Pakistan and all three cases were reported from Duki, Balochistan.

The three-day drive will cover Quetta, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Loralai, Duki, Dera Bugti, Barkhan, Sherani, Zhob, Mastung, Kalat, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Lasbela, Chaghi and other districts of the province.

Quetta, Qilla Abdullah and Pishin have been declared high-risk areas where poliovirus is still active and endangering children with lifetime disability.



Urging parents to allow their children to be administered anti-polio drops, Faisal said, “With the support of civil society, religious scholars and media, we have accomplished a major achievement in eradication of the polio virus.

“Parents should cooperate with the polio staff and allow their children to be administered anti-polio drops which will save them from lifetime disability.”

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only countries where poliovirus still exists and is paralysing children.