K-P launches 5-day polio vaccination drive

The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) has decided to initiate a five-day special anti-polio campaign in specific districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) from Sunday after the presence of the polio virus was confirmed in environmental samples from various areas.

Last month, the National Polio Laboratory, situated at the National Institute of Health Islamabad, verified the presence of the polio virus in environmental samples collected from Peshawar, Hangu, and South Waziristan districts. This confirmation signifies the existence of the virus in these regions, posing a potential threat to children.

In light of this confirmation, the PEOC has taken the decision to conduct a focused polio campaign in select districts of the province, with the aim of eradicating the polio virus.

The decision was made during a high-level meeting at the PEOC, led by Muhammad Asif Rahim, the additional secretary health for polio/coordinator. The meeting was attended by officials from the health department, representatives from UNICEF and WHO, as well as officials from other relevant departments.

During this targeted anti-polio campaign, over 2.2 million children aged five years or younger will be vaccinated in seven complete districts, including Nowshera, Peshawar, Mohmand, Hangu, Khyber, Kohat, and Charsadda.

Furthermore, a total of 107,000 children residing in Afghan refugee camps located in Bunir district, Lower Chitral, Lower Dir, Haripur, Mansehra, Malakand, Mardan, Swabi, and specific union councils along the Pak-Afghan border will also be vaccinated against polio.

Addressing the meeting, Rahim expressed concern over the confirmation of the poliovirus in environmental samples. He emphasised the importance of conducting this special campaign to achieve the complete eradication of the virus.

He urged parents to extend their full cooperation to the polio workers during the campaign to safeguard their children from this life-threatening disease.

The participants of the meeting were informed that a comprehensive strategy had been devised to ensure the success of the polio campaign. The government's commitment to eradicating the polio virus was reiterated, along with its determination to employ all available resources to combat the virus.

To effectively implement the anti-polio campaign, a total of 8,441 teams of trained polio workers have been formed, including 7,721 mobile teams, 542 fixed teams, and 478 transit teams. Additionally, 2,083 area in charges have been appointed to supervise these teams. A deployment of approximately 14,926 police personnel has been arranged to ensure the security of the polio teams throughout the campaign.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that mainly affects 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 only effective way to protect our children from the crippling disease.

Every time children under the age of five get the polio vaccine, they are more protected. Such repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio and made most countries around the world polio-free.