Five-day anti-polio drive kicks off in Balochistan

More than 1.2m children under the age of five will be vaccinated

QUETTA: A five-day anti-polio campaign will begin in 20 districts of Balochistan from Monday (today) during which more than 1.2 million children will be administered the anti-polio vaccine.

Balochistan Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Coordinator Rashid Razzaq in a statement said that all preparations had been made regarding the drive and that 4,758 teams would be deployed to vaccinate children under the age of five.

At least 3,945 mobile teams have been deployed, while 490 fixed points and 264 transit points have been set up in 20 districts of Balochistan to ensure the administration of vaccine to the children.

“All security arrangements for the anti-polio campaign have been finalized, while Frontier Corps, police and Levies personnel have been stationed in different parts of the province to ensure the safety of polio staff,” Razzak said.

Religious scholars are also taking part in the campaign to persuade the parents who normally refuse to administer anti-polio vaccine to their children on religious grounds.

The drive will commence in Barkhan, Bolan, Dera Bugti, Dukki, Harnai, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Kalat, Khuzdar, Kohlu, Killa Saifullah, Loralai, Mastung, Musa Khel, Nasirabad, Sherani, Sibi, Sohbat Pur, Zhob and Ziarat districts.

Razzaq urged the parents to administer polio drops to their children and noted that with the support of civil society, religious scholars and media, the government had majorly achieved goals in the eradication of the crippling disease from the province.

“Parents should cooperate with the polio staff and administer their children anti-polio drops to save them from lifetime disability,” he said.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five.

It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death.

While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling virus.

Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, his or her protection against the disease is increased.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2020.